Family Ties Part One
by acclutch94
Summary: Matt and C.J. take on a new case involving the death of a singer and her inheritance.  At the same time it appears C.J.'s life before moving to Texas comes back to haunt her and Matt. Part 1 of a season finale. Most are not my characters.  Note the rating
1. Chapter 1

1

Matt looked out over the small hills from the far side of the pasture from atop his trusty horse, Mabel. He closed his eyes for a second, taking in the warm, humid air that was standard in south Texas even in February. Eighty degrees with a light northern wind starting to blow.

Then gazing back down, he focused on the creek that separated the two ranches, his and the one C.J. grew up on alongside him. He thought back to all the different times he would find her there. That first meeting there after school when he knocked her down getting to class still fresh as the day it happened. She stood there crying later that day, throwing rocks into it, angry and 9 years old.

"You know you aren't throwing them right." A ten year old Matt told her as he walked up to her.

She was startled and stopped for a second. Then, after wiping her eyes told him, "Says you...I'm throwing them just fine and I don't need any help from anyone."

He stopped to think about that for a minute. Then he said, "Well, I'm just saying if you want them to skip you have to throw like this." He then demonstrated by taking a smooth rock, and throwing it as the two watched it skip 4 times before slipping into the water.

C.J. just picked up another rock and then said, "I'm not trying to make them skip. I'm just throwing them. I'm mad and nothing the grown ups keep telling me makes me feel any less mad. They don't understand anything..." She threw another one. "They don't know, I do, and I can't..." Her voice trailed off and she started to try in vain to stop the tears.

Matt tilted his head as he watched her and then waded across the creek toward her. She was so pretty but so sad and he didn't know why. It almost reminded him of how he felt after being kidnapped a few years ago. He remembered being scared and mad all at once and not having anyone to really confide in. Maybe this little girl had something similar happen to her that none of the grown ups understood, but he did.

She looked up at him as he finally got across and said, "You got your boots wet."

Matt looked down and said, "Yep, I guess I did. It doesn't matter though, I got more boots. Why are you so sad?"

C.J. sat down then and told him, "I'm not supposed to talk about it much, but...my parents..." She started to get choked up, "They're gone. We had the funeral, both of them, and I...its just...they weren't supposed to be gone so soon. I got no family really now...I'm alone..." She started crying harder.

Matt sat down beside her and didn't know exactly what to say or do. He patted her back with one hand and said, "I lost my mom and never really got to see her so I kinda know." She kept crying and Matt almost couldn't stand it, he had to make her feel better. "Look, my name is Matt. Kids at school call me Houston and you can too. Its my last name. My family's kinda small, just me and Daddy. Maybe you can be a part of my family, you can come over any time, really. Except maybe when I'm doin chores. The hands really get on me if I don't get them all done by the time we have to leave for school or by sundown after. I can work harder so you can come to my house."

C.J. took a deep breath and stopped crying. She told him, "I heard about you, after you ran off this morning. Some of the other kids said your dad is some important man and that you were some big shot."

Matt smiled for a second and then said, "Yeah, Daddy's known around these parts. I don't know if that makes me a big shot or not..." She seemed to smile for a second and then said, "You didn't tell me your name though..."

She then nodded and said, "Its C.J...C.J. Parsons. The people that I'm staying with now are supposed to be cousins or something of my parents." She looked back down again, clearly still sad.

Matt then asked, "Supposed to be cousins? You mean you don't know?"

C.J. then told him, "No, I don't. I don't remember them or visiting them or anything. They weren't at the funerals either. I just met them last night when I got here, they don't feel like my family. This just seems such a world away from where I'm from. I don't know how to ride a horse or do half the things Floyd gave me for chores either." She looked at Matt and asked, "What am I supposed to do?"

He thought for a second and then got a smile on his face before he said, "Well now, I happen to be one expert rider. I work out here with the hands all day long and I'm sure I can show you anything you need to know."

C.J. raised an eyebrow and said, "Really...so you know everything there is to know about ranching?"

Matt thought for a moment and said, "Well, not everything, but everything that's important. I'm sure whatever Floyd told you to do, I can figure it out and help. I've never thought there was a challenge too big for me."

She smiled at him as he got up, dusted himself off and then reached out to her to help her up. She took his hand and did just that. At that point they heard Floyd call out to her and both turned back to see him ride up on a horse. "There you are...you can't be runnin off like that."

He was yelling and then grabbed C.J.'s arm hard as he led her back to his horse. Matt didn't see what the problem was and thought there certainly was no excuse for why he was handling C.J. as roughly as he was. So Matt said something, "Hey, you don't have to grab her like that. She wasn't doing anything but skippin rocks." Then Matt blocked their path to the horse and said, "Why don't you just let go of her and let her walk herself. She doesn't need any help walking." Matt knew he was only 10 and Floyd was a much bigger adult, but he didn't care. Something about seeing him handle C.J. that way just set him off as he stared the man down.

Floyd pushed past him, picked her up roughly and almost threw her on the back of the horse. Then he turned to Matt and said, "You better get on back to your Daddy and you don't talk that way to adults, boy...I'll make sure Bill hears about this. Ain't your place." Then he jumped on the back of the horse with C.J. who almost whispered 'Thank you' to Matt who nodded back, waded back across the creek, got on his own horse and headed in.

From then on out he took C.J. under his wing, at least for the first few weeks after that until she learned everything she needed to know. Matt was amazed at how quickly she could pick things up and was riding horses bigger than he was by the end of the year.

Now he sat out looking back at that same creek thinking about her again, his wife. He knew she was upset when he left, but had done his best to reassure her that, even though she still had not gotten pregnant, not to worry. He told her she didn't let him down or anything like that, all this meant was they needed to work harder, perhaps even more often. That thought brought a smile to his face and caused him to suck in his breath for a second. Even thinking about making love to her still had that affect on him.

The next thing he knew his thoughts were interrupted by the sound of horses behind him and his two ranch hands, Bo and Lamar.

Bo rode up and broke the silence, "I told ya we'd find him out here. This is where we always used to find him...talking to C.J...his _best friend_ and only his _best friend._" The two men chuckled while Matt just nodded with a smile. This was more of the 'I told you so' routine he had been experiencing since he arrived two days ago.

So he looked at both men and asked, "So, you two didn't happen to wager on whether or not C.J. and I would end up married, did ya?"

The two looked at each other with smaller smiles on their faces and didn't say anything for a second, which confused Matt. Then Lamar told him, "Actually we did...but we went in together with your Daddy. He won."

Matt was a little startled but then smiled, "Well Daddy always did have a sixth sense about some things. He probably knew the both of us better than we do in some ways."

Lamar then said, "I know that's why he bought Floyd's place when he died years ago. Even though C.J. was off in Boston at that fancy school, he wanted her to still feel like this was her home too."

Matt then looked back at the creek and said, "Yeah...I don't really know how much it felt like home for her though. I think our place did that more for her than Floyd's. Didn't seem like he or his wife treated her like a daughter or anything."

Lamar and Bo looked at each other for a second and Matt caught on that there was something they knew that they weren't sharing. So he prodded, "What is it you two are hidin?"

Bo then stammered, "Uh...nothing...nothing really." They both knew Matt wasn't buying that and after looking at each other one more time Bo then said, "Ok, well, we don't know all the details or anything, but..."

Matt waited patiently for a minute before saying, "But what, Bo? Is it about C.J.? Floyd? The property? What?"

Lamar then answered, "Well, its just that Bo here grew up with Floyd and well..."

Then Bo interrupted, "Floyd didn't have any cousins or anything living anywhere other than here in Texas. I know for a fact. He wasn't related to any Parsons or anything either."

Lamar then said, "And I, uh...well...I remember walking in on Floyd talking to Bill one day. He was asking about adoption or something. Why he was asking your Daddy I don't know, but I remember Bill telling him rather strongly to let her keep her name, Parsons. That they shouldn't try to give her another one even if she wasn't related. Something about it being a part of her past and who she was."

Matt blinked more than once. He knew why Floyd might be talking to Bill about adoption, he was adopted. On top of that Matt had kept parts of his biological father's name. But all of this with C.J. just confused him so he asked, "What do you mean? Then why did C.J. come and live with them if they weren't family?"

Bo and Lamar just shrugged before Lamar said, "I don't know, but I remember those days. I remember Floyd flipping whenever he couldn't find her. Yelling at Bill, yelling at you, yelling at the other hands. That's why I called you. Someone's been on that property besides us. They've been in that little house at least twice in the last couple of weeks and I'm not the spring chicken I used to be. I can't just go confront someone like that. You know I'm not good at confrontations. If I was, I wouldn't have married Beulah again."

Matt then looked back at the creek completely confused now. "She wasn't related to them...then why did they take her in? Who are these people trespassing and what do they want? You sure they aren't just some kids looking for an old abandoned house to party in?"

Bo and Lamar nodded before Bo said, "Not unless the kids party a lot differently than they used to. They've all been real quiet. Only way we know they've been in there are the tire tracks and the cigar butts they left behind. And now...well...we got this in the mail a week ago."

He handed Matt a letter that read, _Mr. Houston, We wish to purchase the property formerly owned by Floyd Garrison. We know it is not being utilized by your ranch and want to take it off your hands. Please contact our attorney to arrange a meeting. We are certain a lucrative agreement can be reached._

Lamar then said, "The next day one of the back fences was damaged on that far side and then the day we called there was a small fire in the house. Seems like someone was trying to get rid of the place if they can't buy it. I went through it a little bit, but didn't find anything. Just some old furniture and pots and pans, nothing of any value really, just stuff that never got cleaned out when Floyd passed."

Matt then looked at them from the note and said, "So whoever sent this either wants to buy the property or thinks there is something on that property that they don't want anyone finding." He folded the note up and then said, "Come on, I want to take a look at the house myself."


	2. Chapter 2

2

C.J. sat in her office looking through depositions and other legal paperwork. She had responded to everything that needed her immediate attention and had been quite busy since Murray was yet to return after losing Myron. The occasional phone call from him in San Francisco and then later New York where the two were from originally put her and Matt at ease some. They had both worried about how he was coping but with each call he sounded better. Matt had told him that he probably had about 6 month's worth of vacation days stored up and that he should utilize all he needed.

In the meantime, that left C.J. with all the paperwork. As vice president she now took over essentially. The seemingly endless business papers that crossed her desk made her head spin. More than once she told Chris, "I think I understand Murray a lot better now. I can see where this would drive one half nuts and the sooner it gets signed, the sooner its out of my hair."

Chris had just chuckled and C.J. had just gone back to work. After finally getting through the first stack, C.J. decided to take a break and went out on the patio where Roy was reading the paper. "Anything good in there?" She asked.

Roy shook his head and then started to put it down as he said, "Not really. Same old, same old. Except for this..." he leaned over with the paper folded so C.J. could read the headline _The Final Curtain Call_ under which was a picture of a popular singer, Macy Raven. "Seems as though her husband found her body yesterday afternoon at the foot of the stairs in their mansion. Police aren't naming anyone as a suspect yet but one unnamed source says it could be the biggest Hollywood mystery since Marilyn Monroe."

C.J. took a drink of the juice she poured herself and took the paper. "Huh, I don't think I ever listened to much of her music, but she's been in movies and is one of the biggest names in the business." She kept reading, "Wow, it says here that the police will be talking to her husband, two ex husbands and one rumored lover."

At just that moment they heard Chris scream/squeal. They ran back in to find her talking to four men in the lobby. Chris was saying, "I'm so sorry, but I just love your band. Please sign my message pad, please?" One of the men smiled, took the pad and signed it.

Roy and C.J. just looked at each other. Then C.J. said, "Gentlemen...can I help you with something?"

Roy then cleared his throat, "Well, C.J. I took the liberty of accepting a new case and these men are our prime suspects."

C.J.'s eyes went big but she caught herself quickly and said after plastering on a smile, "Will you please excuse us for just a moment?" She nodded to them as she led Roy back into the penthouse, closing the doors. "Uncle Roy, if you took a new case that's fine, but why would you just tell those four men out there that they are suspects?"

Roy smiled and said, "Because they are...I know it and they know it. Those are the husband, two ex husbands and rumored lover of our fallen rock singer. Seems she had a will that stated that if her death was by any thing other than natural causes, none of the men would inherit anything until the murderer was caught and then most of it goes to her daughter and her guardian, the father."

C.J. went from watching the men in the lobby through the glass to turning to Roy and asking point blank, "So you decided we were going to be the ones to catch the killer." He nodded with a smile on his face. She continued, "Uncle Roy, you just said that this was going to be the biggest Hollywood mystery since Marilyn Monroe."

Roy then said, "I didn't say that, the papers said that. I told them we could handle it."

C.J. just looked at Roy like he was out of his mind. After hearing the men arguing, sounding like they were about to come to blows she asked, "You mind telling me exactly how we are going to handle it?"

Roy told her, "Well...uh...back in the company we had a sting that we used to catch double agents." Then they heard more yelling and Roy seemed to wince when he said, "But that one really only worked with the older guys. I'm not sure it would do the trick here."

C.J. nodded her head, smiled and said, "Ok, well, why don't we bring our new clients in and see what we can find out." She took a deep breath and said, "Then I'll see what Baby has to say about them." She then opened the door back up and let them all in.

What she and Roy learned over the next 3 hours was that Sam Perkins, her manager and ex husband number one had absolutely no love lost for the fallen Macy Raven. He did, however, claim to be the father of Dove Raven, Macy's three year old daughter. The others expressed doubt at that as they said she never used birth control with any of them and since they all slept with her about 4 years ago, it could be any of them. Over and over Perkins kept saying that Dove should be the only person to inherit anything and that he was at least her legal guardian. Both Roy and C.J. wondered why Macy Raven had kept him as her manager.

The next suspect, ex husband number two Joshua Blake was the one Chris needed the autograph from. Lead singer for a newly popular boy band, Blake was the most recent ex. It appeared they met while his band opened for hers and they "fell hopelessly in love with each other." He expressed no ill will toward Macy and was the shyest of the group.

That shyness was in sharp contrast to Randy Larson, drummer for Macy's band. He emphatically stated that he would miss Macy terribly but then asked C.J. what she was doing for dinner that night. C.J. simply told him she would be talking to her husband over dinner thinking that would make him back off. Ironically, it didn't.

Then there was Darrin Calindis, Macy's current husband. Grief stricken, he appeared to hold back the sobs as he recounted how he found her yesterday afternoon. He had just returned home and found her at the base of the stairs. Roy and C.J. looked at each other over and over as it seemed he was putting on some kind of act the whole time.

After seeing each one out, C.J. then turned Baby on to do the research. Roy had left to go talk to an old contact he had from his teaching years that essentially had an honorary position at a local hospital. He had taught pre med classes while Roy taught some of the pre law criminal justice classes and they had shared an office. The plan was for him to see if this old buddy could help them figure out exactly who the father of Dove Raven was.

Roy knocked the office door. He heard, "Come in..." As he did his old buddy looked up as he adjusted his glasses from where he had been reading some file and squinting to see Roy walk in. He smiled big and said, "Roy, you old son of a gun, what are you doing here in my neck of the woods? I thought they put you out to pasture right after me?"

Roy chuckled and shook his hand as he had risen from his chair behind his desk. He said, "They did Winston, but I moved to L.A. a couple of years ago. My nephew and his wife live here and run a P.I. firm. I work with them now, uh, special consultant."

Winston nodded his head and said, "Special consultant, huh. Whatever you say...you wanna get some lunch?"

Roy told him, "Sure, but I have a question to ask you before I do...we have a case involving a question of paternity. Now I know there are completely open and legal ways to find that out, but sometimes...well...let's just say some big names were involved. Where would you recommend a family go if they wanted the best and most secure results for that kind of test?"

Winston thought about it for a second, "Well, Roy there are a number of places...but if its a security issue, I'd go with the lab right here in this hospital. They keep things tight. No tabloid is going to be able to bribe anyone here."

Roy digested that and then told him, "Sounds good. So, if I send them this way, you can take care of them?"

Winston smiled and said, "Of course Roy, whatever you need. Now, come on...the cafeteria reminds me of the canteen at that old university."

Roy stopped suddenly after Winston had put his arm around him to lead him out of the room and said, "We hated that old canteen."

Winston just smiled and said, "Yeah, but it does bring back memories...and there's a cashier that reminds me an awful lot of Rosie...remember Rosie?" Both men smiled and left together.

C.J. had just finished printing out all the data. She had spoken to Roy who updated her and Warren had come by to pick up Chris. After gathering her things she headed down to Matt's car.

She rode with him to the airport after he insisted, saying he was going to miss her terribly and wanted every single moment with her he could get. She, of course, agreed and then drove his car back. Even though her car sat parked beside his, she still kept driving the red convertible where she could still smell his cologne.

As she drove back she thought about how used to the car she was. Even before they married, they were so close to one another. He had keys to her car and her house and she had keys to his car and his house. Whenever he needed her car, he didn't really have to ask and vice versa and more than once she stayed at the beach house, or he stayed at her house if it was late and he didn't want to drive all the way to Malibu.

They had always been close like that, ever since they met back in Texas. Texas...she thought to herself, that was where he was now. Bo and Lamar had called and seemed very upset over something going on down on the ranch. It had something to do with some property nearby but when C.J. offered to go down there, they insisted it wasn't anything legal and that it was more of a man's thing.

She chuckled to herself as she drove. Bo and Lamar had always treated her as an equal and usually only pulled that, 'Its a man thing' when they wanted to do something that would get them in trouble, like the time they tried to make the world's largest margarita in Matt's hot tub in the office.

Still, she wondered what was going on. Matt had only told her that the two had told him it would have to wait a couple of days as some of the cattle were stranded on the wrong side of the river somehow. There was a creek that had separated her second cousin's property from Matt's that flowed into that river whenever they got a good rain. That little creek was always so peaceful and out of sight of the house they lived in.

Lost in her thoughts she narrowly missed a car that cut her off on the highway. She blinked a couple of times, grabbing the steering wheel hard and then took a deep breath before hitting the gas pedal back down again.

She got in the beach house and made herself a can of soup for dinner and then getting her bath. After drinking a glass of wine she heard the phone ring and reached over to hear her husband's voice. "I miss you..." was the first thing he said.

She smiled and asked, "What if Uncle Roy had been over here and answered the phone?"

He laughed and said, "Well I miss him too, just not in the same way I'm missing you."

She laughed and then told him, "He got us a new case."

Matt asked, "A new case? I'm out of town...why would he agree to take on a new case?"

C.J. took a deep breath and told him, "Matlock Houston, you know good and well that I am perfectly capable of handling a case myself. Besides its definitely got big legal issues attached to it. How's you 'man's thing' coming along down there?"

Matt didn't really want to get into the specifics yet. He knew why Bo and Lamar had kept it a secret now why they wanted him down there. Dredging up ancient history for C.J. would only hurt her on some level. They were going over to the old house tomorrow. Today when they went over, the found federal officers of some kind sealing things off and demanding Matt bring proof of ownership before allowing him on the property.

Matt thought finding that proof would be easy, it was simply a matter of record. However, finding those records proved more difficult and he had spent the better part of the day looking through his Daddy's old safe in the closet. He got distracted very easily though as he found little things from his childhood that Bill had kept and stored away. Some were pictures Matt drew as a child others were little things he gave Bill for Father's Day, Christmas and the like. All of them brought back memories and were harder to go through than Matt had anticipated.

Matt knew C.J. was waiting for an answer so he told her, "I've just been going through some things here. You know I never really cleaned out Daddy's room or anything. I went through his safe today. He kept a lot of business documents in there and a few other things..."

He could hear her sigh in a loving way on the other end before she said, "He kept everything you ever gave him, didn't he?"

He told her, "Yes he did...and a couple of things you gave him. He seemed convinced you and I would be together one day."

C.J. smiled and then told him, "He probably knew us better than we did. I miss him too, Matt. I know its not the same but..."

Matt swallowed and then said, "I think it is, at least its real close. You're the only other person who could know how I'm feeling right now. I love you so much, C.J. You have no idea..."

C.J. then told him with tears in her own eyes, "Yes I do if its even half as much as I love you." After another thirty minutes of talking, neither wanting to say goodbye to the other, they finally hung up so they could get some rest.


	3. Chapter 3

3

Matt got up bright and early to head down to the courthouse to get a copy of the deed. It didn't take too long and probably would have gone a lot faster had C.J. been there with him. He only filled out the wrong form twice before the secretary directed him to the right one.

He picked up Bo and Lamar as they headed over in the truck to the house. Once satisfying the federal agents they drove on to the house. Sure enough yellow crime scene tape wrapped around each door and window. Matt got out and then looked back down the little dirt, private road/drive way that lead up to the house.

Bo asked, "What's wrong?'

Matt looked back and answered, "Why are there federal agents protecting an old abandoned house out almost in the middle of nowhere?"

Lamar then said, "Well, whatever they're doing, they're keeping the ones responsible for the fire away. That's good news, right? We can go inside and look around."

Matt nodded and lead the way. He got in through the door into clearly the living room. It smelled like smoke still and maybe even gasoline. Most of the furniture was there unharmed if not really old. He walked into the kitchen and saw that it seemed to have avoided any serious damage. All the drawers and cabinets were open but the pots and pans and other items were still in place.

Matt looked down the hall to what used to be C.J.'s bedroom. That was where the fire had originated. It was basically an empty room. She never really had much furniture except for that bed Bill had bought her for her tenth birthday. They found out when C.J. had come over one day that she was sleeping on a mattress on the floor in her bedroom. She had taken that with her to college when she lived in an apartment along with the other things Bill bought her. Floyd never really spent much on her. He provided only the bare essentials.

Matt looked around and began pulling at the panelling in an area that seemed loose. He found tucked behind it a metal box, like a small lunchbox.

He carefully pulled it out and looked it over. It was a metal WonderWoman lunchbox. The fire, it seemed, had welded it shut though. He ran his hands over it for a second wondering if it was C.J.'s, whom he figured it was, and if she even remembered it. Then he looked in the closet, or what was left of it. As he pushed back against the panelling there, he found another piece that was loose. His eyes widened when he pulled it all the way back and found a charred 45 magnum gun.

Lamar asked, "What is that doing in her room? It wasn't hers was it? I don't remember her ever carrying a gun around."

Matt just shook his head as he held it by the handle, "I don't know what its doing here. She never carried a gun like this, only a rifle and that was when she was a teenager helping out with the coyotes we were having trouble with."

Bo then came in the room, "Why didn't they ever take any pictures of her. I mean there's nothing here. Only pictures of Floyd and Missy."

Matt then told him, "I told you, they never really treated her like family. I guess if she wasn't then that would explain a lot now wouldn't it. It just doesn't explain why a gun was kept in her closet wall and this box was kept in her bedroom wall." He looked back out the window and then said, "And it certainly doesn't explain why someone would want to buy this house or burn it or why federal officers are interested in it."

Bo then asked, "What are you gonna do?"

Matt turned back to him and said, "I'm gonna find out what's going on Bo, that's what. Make sure whoever is responsible for the fire and that letter doesn't have any interest in my wife."

They spent the rest of the day trying to get information from the federal officers but only got that they were U.S. Marshals. There was no record of anyone trying to purchase the land, no return address on the envelope and when they finally got in touch with the only realtor that knew anything about the land, he simply told them that someone had called and asked about it. They told him they would call back next month and ask again. In the meantime though, there wasn't much Matt could do.

Back in L.A., C.J. had gotten up and ready to head in to the office to work more on Baby with this new case. Roy came in not long after and she and Chris got there so she started the presentation.

"Ok, Uncle Roy, here is what I have so far." She clicked some buttons and brought up a picture of Macy Raven. "Here we have the victim, Macy Raven. She was on top of the charts with her newest single _Baby Love._ Since news of her death sales on her albums have soared increasing her net worth exponentially, even after her death. As of this morning, her estate is worth $47 million dollars."

Roy raised his eyebrows, "That's quite a net worth. How much does her agent get?"

C.J. then clicked more buttons, "Sam Perkins, manager for Macy Raven for the last 5 years and ex husband for the last 3. His contract with Macy was what most would call unusual. Most agents get around 25% or more, his contract only got him 5%."

Roy then said, "Well, 5% of $47 million is still a lot of money, but if its not the going rate he might be upset."

C.J. then told him, "Well its comes out to $2,350,000 which, you're right is not mere change, but not nearly as large an amount as most managers would be getting. It appears in the divorce agreement that Macy wanted to fire him but was court ordered to keep him in lieu of paying essentially alimony herself and child support. Her daughter Dove..." C.J. clicked on more buttons to bring up the picture, "stands to inherit most of the rest. Whatever remains would be evenly divided among her current husband, lover and ex husband number two."

Roy asked, "So the big question is, who is the real father? It seems they all want to claim her now." He looked over at her as she put her head down for a second. "C.J...something wrong?"

She looked back at him and smiled a little telling him, "No, its just...you're right...They all want to be the father now that she has an inheritance." She shook her head and then said as she looked up at Dove's smiling face, "That poor girl...she's only three uncle Roy. She doesn't know what's going on, but when she gets older, she'll figure it out. I know what that's like...to be in a family but not really to be a part of it, to feel like you're a burden or you're just wanted for monetary gain."

C.J. just got up then and walked out on the patio. Roy wasn't as confused as most would think. Bill had told him a few things, confided in him before he died and he knew his nephew was back in Texas. He walked out and stood beside C.J., "You know, even if you weren't really close to Floyd and Missy, Bill always thought of you as the daughter he never had. So have I. You have always been and would always be a part of our family, even if you hadn't married Matlock."

She smiled and looked at him before saying, "I know and that means a lot to me Uncle Roy. Its just that growing up was a lot harder after my parents died." She squinted her eyes for a second and then said, "Its even hard just to remember them. I have so few memories now. Most of what I remember about growing up was in that old house. Floyd yelling at me and Missy. Them going off to see family and me staying behind to look after the ranch. They told me it was because they trusted me to run it, to make me feel better I guess, but...it really just made me feel more and more disconnected from them. It was like they didn't want me. That poor little girl could grow up with that same feeling."

Roy rubbed her back and said, "We did want you though, and I know Bill wanted you there in Texas. I probably shouldn't say you were the daughter he never had because that wouldn't be entirely accurate. You were the daughter-in-law he knew he would have someday."

They smiled at each other and started back in when C.J. lost her balance, almost blacking out. Roy had grabbed her while she held on to him and the chopper, steadying herself. "C.J., are you alright?" He asked incredibly concerned.

She blinked several times and then said, "Yes, yes I'm fine, I just got dizzy there for a second." She put her hand on her forehead, "Oh and I have one heck of a headache all of a sudden. I think I'll just go in and lay down for a little while."

He helped her back in and to the couch. They turned off Baby, deciding to work on it more later in the afternoon after she slept. He brought her an aspirin and water and she went right out. Roy just watched over her for a second. This seemed very odd, not so much odd as...well...he had seen things like this before. When operatives weren't supposed to remember something, sometimes they could be trained to blackout. That almost seemed to be what happened here...almost.

After spending his day looking into who wanted to buy the house C.J. grew up in and finding nothing, Matt headed back to the ranch. Bo and Lamar asked for his help with one more stray heifer that had gotten across to the other side of the river. After putting in a full day Bo said, "Man, I could go for a cool one. You boys want to head over to Lucky's?"

Matt laughed, "The Lucky Horseshoe? That place still around? I would've thought ole Fimple would have closed up shop by now."

Lamar laughed, "Oh no, he's still around and ornery as ever. He still remembers you too I'm sure after all the bar fights you used to get into when your _best friend_ was dating some guy that didn't treat her right."

Matt shook his head again and said, "Now I don't recall either of you having a problem with me explaining things to a handful of guys she gave the time of day to that didn't deserve it."

Bo kept at it, "Well, I do remember one guy...I think his name was Eric or was it Rusty that said something about spending some quality time with your _best friend_ and you threw him onto the pool table and Fimple had to get the whole thing relined. Made your Daddy mad too when he had to pay for all that damage."

Matt then said after looking up for a second, "Yeah well he calmed down when I told him how Eric defined quality time. Then he patted me on the back and said, 'Good job'." They all just smiled at each other before he said, "Come on...I'm buyin."

Lamar then said, "Now you're speakin my language." They all laughed and headed in.

They changed quickly enough and all headed in Matt's truck to The Lucky Horseshoe. Matt nodded and smiled to people as he walked in, several ladies, that is smiled right away. They made their way to the bar and all three sat down and ordered a beer.

Old man Fimple limped over to them from behind the bar and popped the tops off of three beers and handed one to Bo, one to Lamar, and then held back a second before handing Matt his. "You gonna behave tonight?" He asked Matt with a very tired smile.

Matt smiled back as he held his hand out waiting for the beer and said, "Cross my heart Mr. Fimple. I have no plans to get in trouble tonight. The wife would have my hide."

Fimple smiled back as Bo and Lamar laughed patting Matt's back. He told him as he gave him the beer, "Heard you married that girl and if she keeps you in line, all the better." He walked off.

It was only another minute as Matt and the two were looking around enjoying their beer before they heard from the pool tables, "Heard you were back in town." They all turned to see a man Matt remembered from their days growing up. His name was Owen Richardson and C.J. had dated him for about 3 whole months.

When Matt saw him he could feel his temperature rise. This was the guy C.J. had dated that Matt for whatever reason didn't seem to think was good enough for her at the time. In fact when he told her that, she had informed him that she didn't need any help deciding who to spend her time with. Back then it seemed she had something of a hard time breaking up with him. They went back and forth after that first month of going together. Even though Matt had hesitated in his inquiry then, he knew deep down there was more to the story than C.J. was sharing. After getting injured one day on the ranch it seemed over and Matt had sarcastically said a few days later that the horse that had tossed her had finally knocked some sense into her. He remembered she seemed to fake a little laugh and then walked off. He had shrugged it off then thinking she was just a little heart broken maybe but would get over it soon enough.

He found out only a few months ago after reading her journal that a horse didn't throw her, Owen had punched her. That was the final straw for her and she dumped him right away. The journal mentioned something about him trying to get her back but she didn't really put many of the details to paper. Matt looked up now, sizing Owen down thinking about all the different ways he wanted to let Owen know that he knew now what had happened and that he wasn't pleased about it.

Owen, more than a little drunk swaggered over, "Yep, it is you...spoiled little rich boy turned P.I. or something right...You still keep in touch with that little sweet thing, what's her name...oh yeah, Parsons, right..."

Both Bo and Lamar sitting on opposite sides of Matt put their hands on each of his shoulders to try to keep him from getting up. Lamar told him, "Remember what you told Fimple...C.J. definitely won't like it if she has to fly down here to bail you out."

Owen got right in front of Matt and laughing said, "Yeah, that's right, her name was C.J...stupid little name but the body on her...she just needed to understand where she fit in the order of things..."

Matt then stood up and said, "And where exactly was she supposed to fit in the order of things?" The tone in Matt's voice made Lamar and Bo shrink down a bit as he not only almost growled like an angry dog but folded his arms to stare Owen down.

Owen wasn't phased though and continued, "In her place, a woman ain't supposed to give orders to a man, ain't natural. Any woman of mine does what I tell them, when I tell them. I make it clear."

Matt then took two steps forward pushing Owen back with his body, arms still folded. "And exactly how do you make it clear Owen?" He then pushed him with his hands and Owen fell down on a table making it collapse under him, but Matt continued, "Pushing them around, huh? Knocking them around a bit? That how you handle your women?"

Owen got up, pushing back the table and chairs more, "What's your problem?" he yelled. "All I do is give them a little discipline when they need it and that little C.J., your little friend there...she just needed a little to fall in line."

Bo and Lamar looked at each other, both a little nervous as they knew what was about to take place, your standard Texas bar fight defending the honor of whatever female happened to not be present to hear the insult. The two veterans of such skirmishes did a preliminary check of potential half drunk patrons that would join the other side that they would fight while Matt handled Owen himself. They actually half smiled to each other as they prepared themselves in that whole second before he started because they both loved C.J. wanted a little piece of this Owen themselves, but would settle for whatever lowlifes wanted to support him.

Sure enough, Matt picked Owen up by his collar and threw him into another table. As he walked over he told him, "Well now, you see here I have a big problem. That little C.J., as you called her, is now my wife and my best friend. I thought I made it clear Owen when she let you go out with her that you had better not hurt her. Seems as though you didn't get the message then so I'm going to make it clear now. Let's just say you need a little discipline and its late in coming. Don't worry though, I'm gonna make up for lost time." At that the brawl began. Owen got lucky with a couple of punches when one of his buddies came over to grab Matt, but Bo and Lamar made quick work of him.

Fimple just shook his head and called down to the sheriff to haul them all out. It took 10 minutes for them to get there and by that time Owen was practically unconscious along with all his friends and Matt, Bo and Lamar had a couple of bruises but were otherwise just fine. All 7 got arrested though.


	4. Chapter 4

4

C.J. woke up much later on the couch in the penthouse. Her head didn't hurt as much as it had when she laid down. Roy was in her office on the phone and she could faintly make out some of the conversation.

Roy was saying, "Why would you...oh...oh well, that's different then. Too bad I wasn't there to lend a hand...yes I can handle that, I'll get one of the guys in that pool of lawyers downstairs to take care of it...no, don't worry. I'll tell her you called and help her get home...oh, yeah I didn't tell you, she got a really bad headache and has been sleeping for a few hours now...No I don't think its serious enough to call Carol...I don't think I need to stay the night its just a headache...Talk to you tomorrow then?...ok, see you around noon. Take care, love you boy." Then he hung up.

C.J. was still incredibly tired, sitting on the couch rubbing her face. As she looked out the windows she realized it was dark already and just took a deep breath. Roy walked in, tucking some piece of paper in his pocket. As he stepped down he told her, "So you're up now. That's good. I was starting to get a little worried for a minute."

She smiled a little at him, nodding and said, "Thanks for staying with me. I don't know why I got such a bad headache so fast like that." She started rubbing her neck.

He looked at her for a second and then asked, "It ever happen before?"

C.J. took a deep breath and then said, "Not really...I mean maybe when I was younger a couple of times, but not in the last few years. I had a doctor tell me once it was just a part of growing up and that lots of women my age had migraines. That was way back when I was growing up with Matt back in Texas." She smiled at him then.

Roy then told her, "I just got off the phone with Matlock. He wants me to get you home safe and sound and keep an eye on you, but I'm thinking you will be fine once you get in the beach house." They nodded to each other and left to do just that.

The next morning C.J. felt 100% better. She got her coffee and got in early enough for a quick workout, thinking the exercise would help her feel even better. By 8 when Chris came in she was already in front of Baby with a fresh pot of coffee on. Chris didn't arrive alone though.

Det. Warren had his arm around her as they walked out of the elevator and told her when they got to her desk, "I'll pick you up for lunch then?" She nodded and he continued, "I wish we could go out later tonight, but I have work."

She asked him, "That Macy Raven case?"

He nodded and said, "Yeah, we have more interviews to do today and then Hoyt wants us all in for a briefing tonight. There's also something with that other rock band..." He rubbed his nose against hers as he said, "The one you like so much." Then he pulled back, both smiling.

She asked, "The Bay Boys? What's going on?"

He then rubbed her arms and told her, "Nothing much, I'm sure they're just overreacting. One of them got a threatening letter and they're all freaked out. They don't even know what real danger is." He gave her a quick kiss and then as he got in the elevator said, "See you at noon." She waved as the doors closed.

C.J. walked slowly into the lobby area. Chris didn't see her right away and put her purse down and got out the files she needed to go over this morning before seeing her. "Oh, C.J...I didn't know you were in already."

C.J. smiled back at her and said, "I got in earlier and had a quick workout. I see your detective friend there made sure you got in safely."

The look she shot Chris made her blush just a little before she tried to explain, "He's just, well, he took me to get some coffee before work and then walked me in, that's all. Its not like he stayed at my house or I stayed at his." She looked down for a second as she moved a couple of files around on her desk saying, "He just says he wants to spend as much time with me as he can. He misses me when we aren't together."

C.J. smiled and told her, "I'm sure he does and I'm sure you miss him. Looks like you two are getting serious."

Chris looked up and bit her lip for a second before saying, "It kind of looks that way. I don't know...I mean I love spending time with him and I've never really felt the way I feel about him about anyone else...its just..." She looked away just then.

C.J. told her softly, "Hey...why don't we get a cup of coffee in the penthouse?" Chris nodded and the two went in together.

Chris told her as C.J. poured the coffee from behind the bar, "Look, all I know is I just want to see him all the time. I want to get closer, its just..."

C.J. then speculated, "Its just still a little scary to get that close, physically?"

Chris nodded and continued, "I thought I would forget about what happened, but I can't."

C.J. nodded and told her, "Its not something you will ever forget entirely, and I can't tell you how you should be handling it. I've never been through exactly what you have. Has that Dr. Randolph been helping? You know you can take off whenever you need to, to go see her."

Chris nodded again and then said, "She has helped me a lot, but talking about it is one thing, living it is another."

C.J. then asked her, "Do you trust Warren?"

Chris looked at her surprised, "Of course I trust him. He saved my life, remember?"

C.J. then asked, "Do you love him?"

Chris thought for only a second and then said, "I really think I do, but we haven't said it yet. I thought about telling him when I would stop by his little apartment to check on him while he was recovering and I think he started to say it to me at that concert, but chickened out."

They both smiled before C.J. said, "Well, some men have a hard time just saying the words, trust me." Chris didn't know but C.J. did that Matt had that particular problem for most of his life, until he married C.J. that is. She continued, "Why don't you plan something romantic yourself. It might help you to feel more in control of everything and put him at ease since it won't seem like such a huge risk for him to say those three scary little words."

They both chuckled and Chris told her it sounded like a very good idea and that she was going to start planning right away. Roy came in as Chris got back to her desk and C.J. was heading back to Baby. He told her, "Sorry I'm a little late. I just had an errand to run before I came in. I believe we were talking yesterday about Sam Perkins, Macy Raven's agent."

C.J. clicked on Baby and pulled up another image. "Well, after divorcing Perkins Macy married this man, Joshua Blake. He's the lead singer of the band The Bay Boys and the band was just starting out 4 years ago when they were opening for her. According to the tabloids, they had brief and torrid affair, she left Perkins and married him, just after finding out she was pregnant. All seemed rosy until just one year after the nuptials when The Bay Boys signed with her label and each began touring on opposite sides of the country. Apparently they never really saw each other and after catching Macy with her drummer in the dressing room having a 'private rehearsal' he filed for divorce."

Roy then said, "Well coming home and finding your wife in bed with another man would make one quite angry. Any indication he didn't take the news well? Any threats or harassment?"

C.J. shook her head and replied, "Not really. In fact it seems that the tabloids got frustrated trying to find something to print and then began inventing their own stories. Blake filed libel and slander charges against all three of the big names including Tattletale."

Roy then asked, "What about the lover?"

C.J. then punched more buttons, "Randy Larson. He's been Macy's drummer since she got her big break 10 years ago. He's been a regular in many of the city jails of the places they tour. Nothing really violent though, just bar fights and quite a few drunk and disorderly or public intoxication cases. Most were thrown out, probably due to his celebrity status when Macy would show up to bail him out. He poses for the tabloids and seems to want to live that rock star life. In fact I'd say his rolodex has more names than Matt's ever did back in the day."

Roy digested that and then said, "Seems like he wanted to add you to his little black book."

C.J. chuckled and said, "Yes, not shy was he?"

Roy then said, "Well, that just leaves us with the grieving widower. Statistically speaking, grieving husbands usually make very good suspects. What doesn't help his case really is the fact that he was the one who found the body."

C.J. nodded her head, clicked some more buttons and said, "Darrin Calindis. He's been Macy's bodyguard for the last 8 years. According to various quotes she had given since they married one year ago, they had an affair off and on for the last 7 years. About two months ago though, she quit talking about him and would avoid reporters who asked about them. He also stopped acting as her bodyguard and she got a new one."

Roy then speculated, "I wonder if all was well in paradise? Is there anything to suggest one of them was thinking about getting a divorce or separating?"

C.J. shook her head and said, "Not that Baby has found. Neither filed divorce papers or anything like that. I don't have any quotes, tabloid reports, pictures or anything to suggest they were having problems, but I plan to keep digging and call around later when most of my fellow lawyers take a lunch."

Roy nodded and then said, "So, we should probably go start interviewing people to see what we can learn."

C.J. told him, "I think our first stop should be Hoyt to see if we can't find out exactly how Macy died. He should have the autopsy report by now and I'll try to sweet talk him into letting us look at it."

Roy then said, "Then maybe we'll have a better idea as to what exactly we should be asking our suspects. Find out how each one feels about the others."

C.J. nodded but then asked, "Do you think we should wait until Matt gets back though? I overheard you tell him that you'd see him today..." She looked at her watch, "I thought I heard you say noon and its only in a few hours. I didn't get to tell him all the details about the case and really focused more on the legal side of it..."

Roy smiled and then said, "So you didn't tell him it is essentially a murder investigation."

C.J. bit her lip and said, "No I didn't...I didn't say it wasn't either though. I told him it was a case involving court action over an inheritance and that it was complicated."

Roy looked at her, "Complicated...huh...well, he should be back today if all goes well and I don't see what it would hurt if we just stopped by Hoyt's office and looked over the autopsy report. Then we can give him that information before the three of us set out to solve the biggest mystery to hit Hollywood..."

Before he could finish she did it for him, "since Marilyn Monroe...I know." She started to get up when something hit her and she turned back to ask, "What do you mean, 'if all goes well'. What would keep Matt from leaving if he wanted to? He still hadn't learned exactly what Bo and Lamar wanted from him when he talked to me and because it was a 'man thing' they wouldn't tell me...wait...did he tell you what was going on?"

Roy then looked up and smiled as he looked back at her saying, "He didn't give me too many details. Something about cattle on the wrong side of the river and being tied up sort of speak."

C.J. then shot him the 'I'm not stupid, level with me look, "Tied up? Uncle Roy what exactly did he say was going on? He didn't call last night either. Now I know he talked to you about me, but I still expected him to call last night and he didn't." Then, when Roy tried to avoid making eye contact she asked, "That little errand this morning wouldn't involve getting him a lawyer to bail him out of jail for anything, would it?"

Roy just rolled his jaw and said, "C.J., what makes you think Bo and Lamar would let Matt get into any trouble like that?"

C.J.'s look remained unchanged, "Because they would be right beside him, egging him on, encouraging whatever 'man's thing' they had planned. I couldn't tell you how many times they've done just that because I can't count that high."

Roy just smiled and said, "Yep, Bill was right."

That caught her off guard so she said, "What was Bill right about?"

Roy sighed and told her, "He was right about you probably being the only one who could keep him in line. Said when you two finally figured out you were supposed to be together, you'd have him wrapped around your finger, the way you always had anyway."

C.J. smiled for a second and then said, "Well I don't know about wrapping him around my finger, but its very sweet of him to have said that and you for sharing that with me."

Roy put his arm around her as they started to head out. When they got to the elevator he told her, "You know he called me that week you moved next door. Told me Matlock's efficiency at getting his chores done had gone up exponentially. Didn't know what had gotten into him until he went out looking for him after he had finished his dinner and then snuck out of the house. Told me he found him with you on the other side of that little creek showing you how to rope a calf. Told me he watched you two for about half an hour and he just knew. Wanted to rub it in a little that he was going to get to meet his future daughter-in-law before I would."

They chuckled for a second before she told him, "We never saw him. Matt would meet me there to show me how to do things Floyd wanted me to, that I didn't know how to do. He was really patient with me, I'll never forget it. And don't tell him this, but...I worked as hard as I could to impress him. In some way I just wanted him to be proud of me."

Roy told her as they walked out to Matt's convertible, "You know he was always proud of you, Bill was too. He brought cigars to Arizona when you got your degree. I know you had to clerk right not a week after, but Bill really wanted to throw a Texas size reception, party, just to celebrate."

C.J. smiled as they got in and said, "He came to Boston and took me out to the nicest restaurant after I walked the stage. Matt was still in Vietnam and I didn't really have anyone else. Bill had been calling every month and we would share what we had heard about Matt. He asked when graduation was exactly and I told him I hadn't decided whether or not I was going to walk. I thought, you know, that he was a busy businessman. He had just gotten back from Germany when called that night and he asked. He told me I had to walk because he was coming and had big plans to celebrate." She smiled and wiped away one tear, "He did just that. I can't even tell you what it meant to me to have him there, to have someone there, proud of me like that." They both smiled and drove off.


	5. Chapter 5

5

Bo and Lamar just kept laughing which was starting to annoy Matt. "I'm glad you fellas are enjoying all this." He said as they sat on benches in the cell and he leaned against the door made out of bars.

Bo then said, "Oh come on...surely you didn't think when you after that Owen fella that old Sheriff Nelson was just gonna let you walk out of that bar now, did you?"

Matt just sighed heavily, looking up, knowing they were right. Lamar then said to Bo, "Oh he's just upset because he didn't get to talk to his _best friend_ last night. Always was sour as a lemon when he couldn't talk to his _best friend,_ the one that's gonna have his hide for his bar fight last night_._" The two chuckled some more.

Matt then turned around and walked back over to them, "Now you know she won't buy that I was alone, right?" The smiles quickly left their faces as Matt's got bigger. "Did you two really think I was the only one she was going to have a talk with later?"

Lamar then said much more softly, "She's gonna get us back for this, isn't she?"

Matt raised his eyebrows, smiled and nodded at the same time. The other two just took a deep breath and looked at each other. Bo then said, "Well, I reckon we'll have to tell her what all has been goin on."

Matt then shook his head, "No, until I find out more I'd rather not worry her with this or make her relive something painful. She doesn't talk about her life before Texas and I don't really want her to have to remember something that's going to hurt her all over again. I think, since I've known her, that we've only visited her parent's gravesite twice." He shook his head again and said, "It was hard on her, both times. I made her promise after that first time that if she ever went again, she would tell me and let me go with her. It literally made her sick, both times. No, until I know exactly what we're dealing with here, I don't want to put her through that."

The other two nodded as a young deputy came over with keys telling them, "Its time to see the judge. Watch your manners. He's not happy he had to cancel his day off and come back in from the lake where the fish were bitin."

Matt asked, "Judge Salinger isn't still sitting is he?"

The deputy smiled as he opened the door and said, "Yep he is, just had a big birthday, turned 75. You knowing him I'm guessin isn't going to work in your favor."

Matt smiled politely and nodded as they were all let out of the cell, down the hall and to the courtroom. Waiting for him, Bo and Lamar was one of his many corporate lawyers from L.A. His uncle had done a good job at finding the one who studied law at Baylor so at least he would be familiar with Texas law. The young attorney smiled nervously and stuck out his hand, "Mr. Houston, I know we met at the Christmas party last year but I just wanted you to know what an honor it is to represent you here, I..."

Matt put up his hand and smiled, interrupting him he said, "I'm sure it is, but there probably won't be much for you to do. The judge and I go way back in a manner of speaking. I'm sure he'll give all 7 of us a talking to, probably fine us all and then release us. I do appreciate you coming all the way out here and will definitely compensate you well."

Owen and his three guys came in next and sat down at the same table. Clearly hungover he spouted to Matt, "You're lucky those cops got there when they did. I was just about to lay into you." Matt just stared him down which made the lawyer nervous. It got worse when Owen then added, "So you married her huh? Well, how's it feel having my leftovers?"

Bo, Lamar and the lawyer caught that look in Matt's eye and all three grabbed his arms to keep them at his side. The lawyer whispering, "They're only words, he's trying to get you to do something so the judge will focus on you and not him. I'd wager he's been before this judge more than once."

Matt looked back at his lawyer who suddenly sounded much more Texan and less corporate than he did just seconds ago. He was about to say something else when they heard the "All rise" from the bailiff.

Judge Salinger slowly made his way in, roughly taking the folder from the bailiff and saying something none of the others could hear but were all sure was his way of expressing his displeasure at being called in.

Then he bellowed, "Well, well...Mr. Richardson...can't say that I'm surprised to see you before my court..._again,"_ he emphasized. Then he squinted over his glasses as he read the report and looked at Matt, "You though...you I am surprised to see. I was thinking I wouldn't see you before my court. Been keeping up your business in L.A. So nice to see someone from these parts do so well like that. Makes me real proud, yep real proud. Such success, but then again, I always knew it was there."

Matt then smiled and said, "Why thank you judge, I don't know what to say, I..."

The judge lost his smile quickly and interrupted, "I'm not talkin about you! I'm talkin about your better half, Miss Parsons. Hell of a clerk and lawyer. You're damn lucky to have someone like her around. If memory serves, she saved your sorry hide more than once in this very courtroom."

Bo and Lamar had to try really hard to hold down their laughter and hide it from everyone, but especially Matt who just looked at them annoyed. "Yes she did, your honor, she..."

He interrupted again, "How on earth she ended up with you I don't know. Smartest legal mind I'd seen in a long time. Not many can do as well as she did at one of the most prestigious schools in the country, work under F. Lee Bailey and become as well known in the Law Review as she has. I'm always looking out for her articles, like that one last year on circumstantial evidence, citing all those cases and precedents. Where is she? The only bright spot to my losing my fishing time was the prospect of getting to see her if only to bail you out again." The judge clearly was looking around for her.

At that point the lawyer from L.A. spoke up, "I'm sorry Your Honor, but Mrs. Parsons-Houston is still in L.A. conducting crucial business in recent murder investigation serving as representation for the family as they settle all legal matters relating to the deceased estate. My name is David Matheson, I..."

The judge interrupted again, "David Matheson, you wouldn't be related to Doug Matheson would you?"

Matt just watched all this as his lawyer smiled and said, "The one and only Your Honor. From what I hear you and he used to find yourselves in a courtroom very similar to this and for the same reason."

Judge Salinger took a deep breath and nodded, "Yeah, your granddaddy and I saw our share of bar fights. Only we held to the cowboy code. You don't just fight for the fun of it."

Before he could go further David interrupted again, "That's all that was going on here. Your Honor if you read the arresting officer's report and statements made by all three of my clients..."

The judge then stopped him by holding up his hand. He turned and read the report, then cleared his throat. "All right, well seems as though we have dual charges between all the parties, not surprising and not my job really if you two idiots want to go out and beat each other even more senseless than you already are. The property damage though does fall within my jurisdiction." He sat the file down and said, "Mr. Richardson, Mr. Houston, please approach."

The two men with David and the prosecutor and appointed defense for Richardson who really hadn't said much did just that. Judge Salinger then started with Owen, "Both you men seem responsible for about $2000 worth of damage..."

Owen tried to interject, "He threw me..."

The judge put up his hand again and interrupted, "Now Owen if I didn't see your face in here every time some poor girl broke up with you, I might be inclined to believe anything you have to say!" His voice got louder almost with each word. He continued, "Now, gentlemen, it doesn't seem to be all that complicated. We have damage in the amount of $2000, it doesn't matter who started the fight, you both kept at it. So I say we split the damages...Hang on..." He then looked back out and spoke up louder to the owner of the bar, "Fimple?" The man nodded, "You sure its $2000?"

Fimple nodded and added, "I gotta get 5 new tables and about a dozen chairs. Those don't come cheap and I have to drive all the way in to Katy to get them. You know how much I hate drivin all the way into the city."

The judge nodded and then said, "Now then, as I was sayin, you split the damages. Your sidekicks over there can do some community service for a couple of weeks pickin up trash off the side of the road and helping Fimple here get his tables and chairs by driving in themselves to pick them up so he doesn't have to."

They both seemed to accept that and thanked him. As they started to turn around the judge stopped them by asking, "Now according to the cowboy code, only real acceptable reason for fighting in a bar is defending the honor of a female. Was that what was goin on here?"

David then turned back around and said, "Yes Your Honor. Just like when you and granddaddy got in that big fight in Waco, Mr. Houston here was just defending the honor of his wife, that Ms. Parsons-Houston."

The judge sat up a little straighter and said, "Owen, the boy here speakin the truth? You saying ill of Miss Parsons?"

Matt started to correct the judge with her full last name when David took his arm and shook his head.

Owen responded, "We dated back in a day and I guess Mr. Houston and I don't see eye to eye sorta speak over it."

The judge squinted at Owen and then said, "If what happened between you two is what I think happened between you two, you best not find yourself before my court again." He then turned to Matt and said, "You tell that wife of yours she's sorely missed down in these parts and keep making us proud. Now all y'all get out of my sight so I can get back down to the lake before the fish all move on."

Hoyt had just gotten back in and didn't even see them there as he was only focused on getting to the antacids. After popping the first two and sitting down, he saw them. "What do you two want?" he asked both tired and irritated. C.J. and Roy looked at each other and he just sighed before continuing, "Listen I'm sorry...its been one very long night, or two nights, depends on how you look at it. This singer case is a real tough one..." At that point both C.J. and Roy seemed about to say something so Hoyt just held his hand up and said, "Let me guess...you have a new client or clients and their probably male and knew Macy Raven."

C.J. then spoke up, "As a matter of fact we are trying to help them sort through all of the inheritance issues..."

Hoyt laughed, "Inheritance issues? You mean find out who killed her, right? And then sort through who gets what out of that estate of hers that is bigger than the national budget of some nations, don't you?"

Roy then said, "Yes, but the bigger issue is who gets custody of that little girl of hers. I don't think anyone wants this to drag out too long for her sake."

Hoyt conceded that and then said, "You're right, no one wants the one innocent person in all this put through any more trauma than she's been put through already. At least she wasn't home at the time of the murder of her mother..."

C.J. suddenly put her head down as she closed her eyes. Putting both hands on her forehead she took two deep breaths and listened to the others continue. Hoyt was saying, "...that would have been much worse." Both Roy and Hoyt then noticed C.J. so Hoyt asked, "C.J., you ok?"

She didn't look up but nodded her head. After taking another deep breath she sat up, squinting and said, "I just have a migraine I guess. I felt so much better this morning, but its back. Excuse me." At that point she got up and started out the door to get to the bathroom quickly where she threw up. After splashing water on her face and pulling herself together again she went back to Hoyt's office.

Roy was talking, "All we want is to take a look at the report. Come on Michael, one little look won't hurt."

Hoyt sighed and then handed him the folder as she walked back in. "Here, knock yourself out. Blunt force trauma to the head and a broken neck sustained during the fall. That staircase had over 30 steps and she hit each one. Bruises all over her body that match with the way the test dummy was thrown down it. If it wasn't for her age and all the other 'inheritance issues' we might be calling this an accidental death."

Roy, still reading the report then asked as he looked up from it, "What's this about oil on her body?"

Hoyt answered, "Its a body oil, lavender to be precise. Seems as though she had just gotten a massage shortly before her fall." Then he looked at C.J. and said, "You ok?"

She nodded and then said, "Lavender is relaxing. When Matt had me going to get all those massages I would get them to use it. Its very nice."

Roy then asked, "Relaxing enough to get your guard down?"

C.J. was still rubbing her forehead but said, "Its not a drug, no, but if you just go with it, it might help you sleep. Some people put little drops of lavender essential oil on their pillow. I don't really see how it could be used to commit murder."

Roy then rubbed her back after he and Hoyt looked at each other then said, "Well, now that we know what's in the autopsy report, why don't we head back to the penthouse. You can lay down again and I can pick Matlock up from the airport. Then we can brief him and decide how to proceed from there."

Hoyt told them, "We've brought in the widower twice and he's sticking to his story. All the others are too. Funeral is scheduled for tomorrow afternoon in an exclusive ceremony. If the widower is one of your clients, you'll probably get an invite. We'll be on scene to keep tabloids away. Let me know if you need anything else." They nodded to each other and Roy drove C.J. in Matt's car back to the office and let her sleep on the couch again while he took the chopper to go pick up Matt.


	6. Chapter 6

6

It took Matt a little longer than he anticipated to get back. After paying the fine and getting a ride from his lawyer, he made sure Bo and Lamar had their instructions from the judge and would abide by each one.

Bo then asked, "What about Floyd's place? What do we do now?"

Matt then told him, "Just keep an eye on it. I want to know who goes in and out of it and how long those agents stick around. C.J. has a friend in the Marshal's office and I'll get a hold of him when I get back and do some research on Baby about Floyd to see what I can find there. Then I'll look into who this gun was registered to and see if I can't get into that lunch box." They nodded to each other and he and the lawyer headed to the airport to board Matt's Lear Jet and head back to L.A.

Roy was waiting when they got there. Matt shook the lawyer's hand again after he told him his car was there and didn't need any ride. Roy told him, "I thought you said noon, its almost 4."

Matt nodded as he got in to fly the chopper back and told him, "Yeah well, it took longer to get all the paperwork filled out since I didn't exactly know what I was supposed to sign and where and then there was the $1000 I had to withdraw and hand over to old man Fimple before I could go anywhere. What's this I hear about us taking on a new case." The chopper lifted off the ground.

Roy told him through the headphones, "Macy Raven, she was well known singer..."

Matt interrupted, "Was? What happened?"

Roy explained, "She fell down a flight of stairs, hit her head and broke her neck."

Matt then said, "Let me guess, everyone is now squabbling over the money, right?"

Roy nodded and said, "It gets worse though. There's a little girl involved, Macy's three year old daughter Dove. Its not entirely clear who the father is."

Matt looked at Roy for a second and then said shaking his head, "How can a man not know he has a child...oh and I suppose they all want to claim to be Daddy now right?"

Roy nodded and Matt closed his eyes for a second disgusted. Roy then told him, "The case has hit C.J. pretty hard I think."

Matt then asked clearly concerned, "What do you mean?"

Roy then said as they neared the penthouse, "Well, its made her think more about growing up in Texas with Floyd and Missy. She remembers well how they didn't really treat her like kin. She's worried I think that Dove, Macy's daughter will grow up in the same type of household."

Matt nodded his head as they got ready to land and said, "Yeah, I've been thinking about it more lately myself. Bo and Lamar are worried about someone on Floyd's property. Someone got a message to them about selling it and when they didn't respond right away, someone set fire to C.J.'s old room." They landed but he continued, "I found a couple of things and plan to do a little research on it but I want to wait until I know more before I approach C.J. about it." Roy nodded and the two got out and headed inside.

They found C.J. asleep on the couch with the bottle of aspirin beside her and Matt furrowed his brow, stopped and then looked back at his uncle. "Does she have another headache?"

Roy nodded and grabbed Matt's shoulder as he had started to walk over to her to stop him. "Yes, she seems to have gotten it yesterday, suddenly, as we were talking through the case. Then this morning when we were talking to Hoyt about Macy's autopsy report it came on again. I drove her back here around 11 and she's been asleep ever since."

Matt looked at him even more concerned now and said, "You mean she's been asleep since 11 and hasn't woken up at all?"

Roy then shrugged and told him, "I don't think so. Chris called me a couple of times and told me she hadn't stirred really."

Matt blinked and then walked over to her when Roy told him to just take care of her and that he'd see them bright and early in the morning to continue working on the case. He bent down and brushed the hair back from her forehead and cheek.

At that point she stirred. As her eyes fluttered open she could see her husband looking at her with a little smile, but looking just a little worried. "Hey there sleeping beauty."

She started to try to sit up but put her hand on her forehead again saying, "Oh..."

He put his hand softly on her shoulder, lightly pushing her back to a laying position and said, "Hey now why don't you just lay back for a minute. I heard you have a killer headache."

His hands continued to run through her hair as she told him, "Yes I do. I don't know why but it just came on yesterday. Its a lot like those migraines I used to have. You remember?"

He took a deep breath and told her, still speaking very softly, "I do...I remember driving you home from school early because you got one so bad you passed out in health class. I told the teacher you'd be just fine missing that one class because all we were covering that day was the brain and since you were so smart, you must know all about it."

They chuckled for a second and she told him, "I haven't had one in so long. They just leave me so tired."

Matt nodded brushing his thumb over her cheek. He leaned up to kiss her lightly and then said, "I remember that too. You have anything to eat today?"

She shook her head, "No, I got sick in Hoyt's office and lost what I ate for breakfast. I could go for some lunch though. Care to take your wife out for lunch?"

She smiled and he smiled back before saying, "Well, its closer to dinner time now. Here let me...".

He started to get up to help her up but she looked at her watch first confused. She looked almost in disbelief and said, "Its 4:30? I slept all day?"

Matt sat on the edge of the couch by her hip and told her, "Yes you did. Honey, its like you said, they leave you tired. Let me run my bag down to the car and then I'll come back up and help you out. We'll get some take out and eat at home, alright?"

C.J. nodded still confused a little and Matt kissed her lightly again. He told her, "You just lay back for a couple of minutes and I'll take care of this and we'll leave together, hum."

C.J. did just that, trying to get her bearings as Matt ran down and then came up and got her. He held her hand, rubbing it in that way of his as he drove them. They didn't say much and he let her just sit back and relax as he drove. They got some fish and chips at the place by the boardwalk and then got to the house.

They ate out on the patio and she filled him in on the case before asking him how his trip went. He told her about the cattle somehow ending up on the wrong side of the river. Seems as though the recent drought had lowered the level of the river and they had wandered across. The trick was getting them back across when they weren't interested. He of course, added a few anecdotes to make her laugh, which she did.

She asked at that point, "So Bo and Lamar couldn't handle it with the hands they have?"

Matt knew she would figure out that it wasn't that big a deal, certainly not something that required Matt to solve so he continued, "Well, it wasn't just the cattle. There are some issues with Floyd's old property, nothing serious. I needed to have the official deed for the place though and we couldn't find it in any of Daddy's things. His safe has some papers but nothing on that property."

C.J. inhaled and rubbed her forehead again. She told him, "Why do you need the deed? Is someone wanting to buy that old place?"

Matt didn't really want to tell her everything and had noticed she didn't seem to be feeling that well still so he told her, "There has definitely been some interest in the place." Then he got up, reached out his hand to her which she took and then said, "Come on, lets get back in, get you some more aspirin and I'll draw you a nice bath in that spare room, hum?"

She got up and smiled before telling him, "Only if you'll join me in that bath."

Matt smiled but wanted to make sure she was really ok so he took her back in. They parted ways at the stairs while she went to the bedroom to undress and he went downstairs to the kitchen to get her aspirin and a glass of water. When he got upstairs to draw her bath he saw all the candles and decided on the spur of the moment to light them. He took her bath salts and poured them in the tub as the water ran and took some matches from under the sink and lit them all. As he was putting the match out in the sink he turned around to see his wife in her black silk robe.

He smiled and told her, "Here now, you just take these..." he handed her the aspirin and the glass of water. As she was swallowing he continued, "climb in this nice bath and just relax."

She sat the glass down and untied her robe letting it fall to the floor. Matt caught his breath as she stood before him with nothing on. She whispered to him, "Like I said, only if you'll join me." She took one step and he met her taking one step himself.

Before kissing her and letting him do what his body was screaming for him to do he asked her, "Are you sure you feel up to this?"

She smiled and put her hands on his face saying, "I think its just what I need. I missed you so much these last few days. I love you..." She closed her eyes as his lips met hers and his hands wrapped around her waist and then went up her back.

After that one incredibly intense kiss his hands went back to her face where he stroked it lightly, brushing the hair out of her face. Then he went to kissing her forehead, her cheek and moving toward her ear. His hands moved down as well to her breasts and moved over them as they started to sway. He whispered in her ear, "I missed you so much...I love you so much, C.J."

He fondled her nipples telling her to relax. She was relaxing, trying hard to get his shirt off as she was running her hands up and down his chest. His touch was intoxicating and she started to lean more heavily on him as he whispered to her. All she could really say back was "Ah ha...yes...Matt...I..."

His hands moved back to her waist as he kissed her forehead again tilting it back up with his lips. After giving her a second to balance herself he released her to take his shirt off and unbutton his pants, dropping them to the floor with his underwear and stepping out of them and his shoes at the same time.

Then his arms went back around her as he powerfully pulled her to him, brushing his lips over her and kissing her in earnest. With one hand around her waist the other went lower and she started moving again, still not able to speak.

All Matt wanted to do was show her his love for her. He lifted her up in his arms as he carried to that spare bed. He laid her softly back on the bed and sat beside her, facing her telling her to close her eyes. His hands brushed over her cheeks and then went back to her breasts as she moaned again. After a minute or two he lowered his head to roll her nipples over and over in his mouth, one at a time.

Her eyes kept rolling in the back of her head as he did that, knowing exactly where to touch her he was bringing her to the brink without even going further down her body. After another minute his hands went lower and moved her over there. He laid beside her now and put his other hand around her shoulder and one leg moving over hers to pull that one leg toward his body, opening up the rest of her body to his touch. Her back arched after another minute as she grabbed the comforter under her, and began gasping as her body reached that edge. He told her as he whispered in her ear, "Just surrender to it. I've got you." In that moment she did and shuttered in his arms, her body almost involuntarily quivering up in his arms and against his body as he continued to whisper to her, his lips on her ear and his hand, the one around her shoulder, pulling her ever nearer to him, molding her into his body.

As she started coming back down he rolled over her and slowly entered her body. She wrapped her arms around his waist, he continued to whisper to her. "I love you...oh C.J...oh my..."

He was moving slowly and gently while she whispered back to him as best she could, "I love you so much...oh Matt...oh yes...Ah ha..." Her hands ran from his back behind him as she was pulling him into her. His hands were on either side of her face. Kissing her lips, her cheek, her forehead and her ear as he made love to her, their eyes locking and his hands on either side of her face. It was one of the most intense moments for both of them. Both thinking of nothing but their love for the other. As it hit Matt that she was having another climax, he felt his surge beyond his control. They both shook in each others arms staring into each other's eyes.

They kissed for another 10 minutes before he got up, sat beside her, brushing the hair off her face again before whispering, "Lets go get that bath." He helped her up and the two went, cleaned up a little and then settled into the large whirlpool bath tub surrounded by candles.

She leaned on his chest as he ran his hands up and down her arms. She told him, "That was incredible Matt."

He smiled and asked her, "You feeling better now?"

She chuckled which caused him to chuckle then said, "I can definitely say I'm feeling much better now...and very relaxed."

He kissed her forehead again and said, "Good...I'm worried about you a little bit. I don't like you having all these intense headaches."

She told him, "Well it was just the one. I haven't had them in so long. I don't know what brought it on."

Matt thought about it and saw her trying to think about it. His hands were cupping some of the water and running it over her shoulders. He didn't want her thinking really right now, only relaxing so he told her, "Let's not worry about it right now, just lay back here and rest. We'll get out in a minute and then I'll hold you in bed."

She turned around and looked at him, "I have a whole stack of papers to go through first though."

Matt furrowed his brow and then asked her, "Have you been bringing work home with you every night?"

C.J. nodded her head, "I have to Matt. There are about 30 pages that need my signature for each merger, then there are the depositions and acquisitions and..."

He cut her off by putting his finger over her lips. "No wonder you're having headaches. Honey, as of right now, you are off work. You are doing nothing but laying back here, relaxing in my arms and drifting off to sleep when I get you in bed. Understand?" She smiled and did just that.


	7. Chapter 7

7

Both slept in much longer than they had in a while. C.J. had drifted off quickly enough when they got in bed finally while Matt's head spun with everything that he had discovered about Floyd not being a relative of C.J., what he found in the house, and his wife seemingly working herself to the point of exhaustion.

He knew once he opened this door it might be like opening Pandora's box. Who knew what lay in a past filled with so many deceptions? At first he wondered if C.J. were aware of the fact that she wasn't related to Floyd but he knew that couldn't be the case. It had hurt her so much as they both grew up that Floyd and Missy never really treated her like family when she thought she was. Would all of this just open up those old wounds, or worse, cause fresh new ones?

She murmured something in her sleep about a stack of papers coming after her and Matt rubbed her back, whispering that she was off work, relaxing somewhere on a beach hoping to redirect her subconscious. He smiled when she then moved just a little closer with a smile on her face.

Thinking about her dream in the light of day now, he had already called down to the office to put the two lawyers and Associate V.P.s over the remaining paperwork for the rest of the week and to only call on her if they could prove to him that it was absolutely necessary.

Now 9am, Matt was dressed and ready to head in. C.J. lay sleeping so he took that opportunity to walk down to the boardwalk and grab a cup of her favorite coffee and a couple of her favorites from the local bakery.

As he made his way back, he noticed a man in a car that seemed to be watching the beach house. Going around the side of a neighbor's house he got to the front door and put everything down on the counter and then running upstairs. C.J. was in the shower and didn't hear him come in, grab his gun tucking it in behind him, and then cautiously making his way back out the front to sneak up on the man in the car. The car started to back up before he even approached and drove off. He jogged to where the car had been parked because he thought the sole person in the car had dropped something. He found a cigarette butt for a very expensive European cigarette.

After getting back in he found C.J. relishing the cream cheese strawberry pastry he had gotten her. Dressed in a nice, simple black pants suit, Matt chuckled just a little as she wiped the strawberry from the corner of her mouth. He picked up a napkin, handed it to her and said, "Now how do you know that one wasn't for me, huh?"

She laughed and said, "Because I know my husband very well and I know that Texas sized breakfast taco is yours."

He nodded smiling as his arms went around her waist and then asked, "What's with the black?"

She took a deep breath and then told him, "We have a funeral to go to today. I just talked to Chris and the official invite came in just after we left the office last night. It's a private ceremony at Peaceful Hills. We have a couple of hours so I was thinking we could head to the office, catch you up on the case and then head over where all our suspects will be together in one place. Interviewing them probably won't be appropriate today, but it should give you a good sense of what we're dealing with."

He nodded, grabbed his taco and the two headed out. Matt decided not to tell her about the man watching the beach house because he wasn't entirely sure that was what he was doing and didn't get a good look at him anyway.

After getting up to the penthouse, C.J. quickly brought Baby up and caught Matt up on the investigation. He watched her carefully for any sign that her headache would return, and luckily it appeared gone. He hoped that it was all the paperwork she had been doing lately causing a strain on her eyes or something like that and nothing more serious. Somewhere in his gut though, a voice was telling him it wasn't the paperwork.

"Well, I agree with Uncle Roy...statistically speaking the widower usually looks good for the murder of the wife." She just shook her head and Matt rubbed her back knowing she was thinking of Robert again.

Chris interrupted their thoughts, "Houston...Hoyt is on line one."

Matt answered, "Thank you Chris." He picked up the phone, "Good morning, Hoyt."

Hoyt answered, "No its not. I'm just calling to let you guys know a threat was called in to the funeral. Some crazed number one fan has decided that Macy Raven told him in a dream last night that she wanted to be cremated and told him who killed her. Just got the note about 10 minutes ago."

Matt then asked, "Are there any prints on it?"

Hoyt answered, "Yes there are one set. Belonging to one Devon Orlando."

Matt said it out loud and C.J. punched it into Baby, "Devon Orlando."

Baby pulled up information that Matt read back to Hoyt, "Devon Orlando, born 20 years ago in San Diego, California. A student at UCSB until about a year ago when he dropped out. No prior arrests or convictions."

Hoyt said rather irritated, "I know that, I have computers myself Houston."

Matt then asked, "You have a picture?" Hoyt said nothing so he continued, "You know Baby can access his student picture ID...you wouldn't want a copy now would you?"

Hoyt growled, "As a matter of fact, yes, I would love a one. You wouldn't happen to mind dropping it by would you? I kind of have a serious murder investigation on my hands here along with this death threat!"

Matt told him, "On my way Hoyt, don't mention it." At that point Hoyt hung up. Matt put the receiver down as his wife looked up at him.

She asked, "So, you want to take this to Hoyt now? I can meet you at the funeral home or the gravesite."

He nodded his head, bent down to kiss her and then told her to be careful. She smiled and told him to do the same.

Matt stopped Roy as he was making his way in and the two left to head to headquarters. As they drove, Matt took the opportunity to tell his uncle what he had found in Texas.

"So the question is Uncle Roy...who were Floyd and Missy to C.J. I mean if they weren't relatives then why did they take her in?"

Roy had listened carefully and then after a second or two asked, "You aren't asking me why Floyd would talk to Bill about adoption...It seems as though that isn't a piece of this puzzle, as if..." He watched the expression on Matt's face change and then said, "Who told you? I know it wasn't Bill."

Matt then looked at Roy completely surprised and almost ran a light. It took a second as they sat there but he finally took a deep breath and said, "You knew? Daddy told you..."

Roy slowly nodded, "I was there Matlock. He had just lost Beth in a car accident. Flo and I came to help with the arrangements. We were overjoyed to find out we were expecting ourselves. Bill couldn't wait to have a child with her, but they were having some trouble with it." Roy looked down as Matt continued driving, "I'd never seen him so down. There was another fellow helping out with his wife, your biological parents. When Bill found out about a month after Beth's funeral that Wade Matlock had lost his wife in childbirth, he ran right to his side, offering to help in any way he could. Bill knew that pain...loosing the love of your life like that. He thought maybe he understood what Wade was going through better than anyone. When it was clear Wade just couldn't cope, your Daddy took you in and raised you as his own." Roy looked at Matt then with tears in his eyes and said, "You were always his son, Matlock and you were always and will always be my nephew."

Matt then patted him on the back as they were now parked at the police station. He told him, "I know that Uncle Roy."

After a hug Roy then asked, "Who told you and did Bill ever know that you had found out?"

Matt shook his head, "No, I made sure he never knew. You remember helping with Elgin Cody, right?" Roy nodded his head. "Well, the first time he came after me was to get that land and he hired a local doctor to perform enough plastic surgery on someone to be able to pass as me and then sign over everything to Cody." Matt looked down then before continuing, "That doctor called up Virgil Wade, the name my biological father was going by then. He came to warn me and he ended up getting killed in the process."

Roy digested that and then asked, "He was that other man who was killed when you confronted Cody, right?" Matt nodded and he continued, "I had met him before when Bill was in the service. Doesn't surprise me that he would take a bullet for you. He was fiercely loyal to his friends, but when he lost his wife, it was like he died I guess." Matt put his head down for a second thinking about it again when Roy then asked, "Does C.J. know?"

Matt looked back at him and said, "Yes she does, Uncle Roy. It took me a while to wrap my mind around it, but she's the only other person who knows." He looked out at the parking lot for a second and then said, "I'm a little scared, Uncle Roy. If I look too closely into all this, what could I find and how will it affect C.J.? Coming to grips with everything was hard, really hard. How do I force her to do something similar? Open a door that's been closed for a reason."

Roy thought about it and nodded before saying, "Well from what you've told me it seems as though someone is pushing this door open. If someone was really watching your place, you might want to call in Greg to keep some tabs on it. I think doing some research on Baby into Floyd might be a good idea, get a sense as to why they would adopt C.J..."

Matt then gave Roy a rather irritated look and said, "Yeah, adopt her and not treat her like she belonged."

Roy then told him, "If he hadn't adopted her, you might not have met her."

Matt then conceded that saying, "I can't even imagine growing up without her."

While they went in to talk to Hoyt, C.J. got ready to leave. She gathered her things and caught Chris and Warren kissing in the elevator when the door opened. They clearly didn't notice so she cleared her throat. The two turned the cutest shade of pink as C.J. smiled just a little and said, "Well, I hope you two will excuse me but I really need to be going..."

They walked out and started to explain at the same time when she put up her hand and said, "No, no...no reason to explain anything. I need to run but you two are free to stay." She whispered to Chris as the doors were closing, "You have about two hours before anyone will be back."

C.J. felt so much better this morning and now afternoon. Last night with Matt was exactly what she needed. He always knew exactly what she needed and being married to him, well, his knowledge of her had become so intimate that it made her catch her breath.

Finding the church was not difficult and one would not think any services were being held today, at least from the outside. On the inside it was packed. Practically all the "A" list celebrities were there including singers, actors and other musicians. She found a seat to the back and waited patiently for Matt.

Finally the appointed time arrived and the casket was carried in by Macy's band followed by her first ex husband Sam Perkins holding little Dove Raven in his arms. With the two of them was another younger woman. C.J. didn't recognize her exactly and wondered who the woman was, but after the service started, it became clear that she was the nanny.

The preacher gave a short sermon about innocence lost and how she was being reunited with her loved ones now, those who had gone before. C.J.'s head began to hurt again but she kept her composure, no one would have noticed.

Then her band each spoke of how they would miss her and the world would no longer be the same without her. As they sang to her without backup music, the drummer took a white rose down to Dove. She took it, confused it seemed and after one last speaker, the funeral ended.

Matt still hadn't arrived so C.J. just left with the others and got in her car to head to the gravesite. The drive wasn't that far and C.J. was glad the paparazzi had not shown up if for no other reason than Dove Raven. That little girl had suffered enough. The more she thought about this, the worse C.J. felt physically.

After getting to the gravesite she parked but before getting out little Dove got away from Perkins and ran toward her. C.J. caught her, picked her up and took her back to Perkins. He thanked her, turned around and took her back to the line behind the casket.

C.J. walked back to her car and sat down for a second. It was getting difficult to breathe. She clutched her chest and then put her head down. There she stayed for the next hour.


	8. Chapter 8

8

Hoyt practically slammed the phone down before rubbing his head. Matt asked him as he walked in, "Everything ok?"

Hoyt shot him an irritated look and said, "No, its not. I've some crazy fan who wants to set off a bomb at the funeral of one of the most popular singers in the country...I've got the investigation into her murder...four very good suspects, all with motive and none with alibis...and to top that off..." His voice got louder, "I've got my star detective taking an extra long lunch with your secretary!"

Matt smiled a little looking down hoping Hoyt didn't see it. He didn't see anything because he was popping antacids again. Matt told him as he handed him a file, "Well, here is everything Baby had on your crazy fan. Seems Mr. Orlando was attending UCSB but then dropped out about a year ago when he became a groupie of Macy Raven. He followed her band around as they toured in the US and took about 100 photographs he tried to sell to local pawn shops. They have him listed in a database as a source for all things Macy Raven."

Hoyt looked at him for a second and then took the file. "Well, the picture here helps. We really didn't have a clear idea of what to look for. Doesn't seem to have a driver's license."

They nodded to each other when an officer walked in and handed Hoyt a slip of paper. He read it to Matt, "The funeral is just getting started. I've got half a dozen men over there now, but the message Orlando left us indicated the bomb would go off as they 'tried to put poor Macy in the ground.' You want to head over there with me?"

Matt nodded but then said, "Yes I do, but I need to go get Uncle Roy. He...uh...had an old contact in the company he needed to get a hold of."

Hoyt told him, "Well, don't keep me waiting too long. I'm running this picture over to Williams to make copies and distribute and I'll meet you at the car." They then parted ways.

He found his uncle on a pay phone, "Yes that's right, Floyd Garrison...yes, please do keep me posted, I'll assume here that you can find me without any hints...of course Bloodhound, thanks."

Matt walked up and said, "Bloodhound?" His expression almost made Roy laugh.

He answered, "Old Bloodhound, not one of the five fingers, he was our point man. No one could hide from us for long, Bloodhound would sniff them out."

They started walking back to Hoyt's car when Matt said, "Does Bloodhound have a name?"

Roy stopped before getting in the back, turned to Matt and said, "Of course he has a name." Then he got in the car.

Matt just shook his head and got in as well. When they got to the gravesite people were just arriving. Matt looked for C.J. but didn't see her. The casket was being carried by Macy's band and there was a whole procession behind it with large flower arrangements. Matt stood by Hoyt as he and his men kept watch over the service on the other side of a small hill.

Matt's was looking all around for C.J. Roy was on the other side mingling with the mourners also looking out for C.J. and Orlando. Bomb sniffing dogs had already gone through the cemetery before anyone arrived and had found nothing.

Finally as the service was nearing an end, Matt spotted Orlando. He was dressed as a custodian of the cemetery, appearing to be tending to other gravesites. Matt elbowed Hoyt who at first was irritated but Matt nodded in Orlando's direction. Then Hoyt nodded and the two started to casually walk around toward him. They were able to successfully sneak up behind him.

Hoyt pulled his gun and stuck it in Orlando's back saying softly, "Alright there, you and I are just going to take a little walk and let these people grieve alone. Understand?"

Orlando said back as he put up his hands and Matt walked in front of him checking him for a weapon, "Man, all I wanted to do was attend the funeral, that's all. I wasn't really going to set off a bomb. Its just that she told me and I had to do something to get you to listen."

As they started to walk off Matt asked, "So she told you who killed her?"

Orlando nodded and told him, "Yes she did. She told me it was her drummer. I saw them all the time, that's why she told me. I have proof..."

Matt and Hoyt then stopped as they got back to Hoyt's car and he asked, "You have proof that can aid my men in a criminal investigation and you kept it to yourself? Why didn't you bring it in to the station?"

Orlando then told him, "I didn't think you'd believe me. I watched them on stage all the time. She would sit in his lap during the show while he played the drums. She told me in my dream that he was angry that, in all those years of being together that she would marry practically anyone else but him."

Matt then asked, "What's this proof you have that we wouldn't believe?"

Orlando then told him, "I recorded it."

Hoyt and Matt looked at each other confused and Hoyt asked, "Recorded what?"

Orlando answered, "I recorded what she told me...its in the white noise...if you listen carefully enough..." At that point Hoyt put the guy in the back of a patrol car and slammed the door shut before rubbing his forehead again.

He looked at Matt and said, "If I had a dime for every idiot out there that had 'proof' of something I'd be wealthier than you."

Matt patted him on the back and said, "Well, it may not be a total loss. He has a good point. If Larson did love Macy as much as he claims to, who's to say he wouldn't be ready to commit murder after being passed over 3 times?" Hoyt nodded.

At that point Roy approached and said, "Matlock, I didn't see C.J. at the service, but I think that's her car down there. She's bound to come back to it."

Matt looked at the car and couldn't quite make the outline out, but it seemed like someone was sitting in the front seat. He told Roy, "Actually I think she's already back to it. Why don't you get a ride with Hoyt and we'll regroup first thing in the morning to go over our suspects and start talking to people. I really don't think right after the funeral is the best time." The three men nodded and Matt left to go to C.J.'s car.

As he approached her car he could make her out but she seemed slouched over the steering wheel. At first he thought that perhaps her headache had returned and she was simply resting. Yet as he got closer he could see that she seemed unconscious. His brow furrowed and he went from walking quickly to jogging before he reached her.

He quickly opened her door, an action that startled her. He bent down as she sat up and brushed her hair back, "C.J...honey what's wrong..are you alright?".

C.J. blinked and told him, "Matt I'm fine, I just needed to sit down for a second.". She started to get up as she was telling him seeing the concern in his eyes, "You're a little late, the grave side service is about to start."

Matt had backed up for a second seeing her looking around confused. He stood up behind her and said softly, "The service is over".

C.J. took only one more step and then said, "I don't understand...where is everyone. I only sat down for a second...", her voice trailed off.

Matt put his hand softly on her shoulder still standing behind her. "C.J., what is the last thing you remember?"

She stuttered, "I...uh I just...I picked up Dove, the little girl, she's just...she's just so young and to have to be at her mother's funeral...I...". She started to turn around, her back still to Matt as she didn't really want him to see how this truly affected her. "One minute I was helping Dove get back to Perkins and the next you're telling me it's over. I..."

Matt put his hand on her arm, turning her to face him slowly. She kept her face down until he put his hand under her chin and tilted it to him. "Are you saying you blacked out? You don't remember anything from the last hour and a half?"

All she could do was shake her head. He drew her to him, wrapping his arms around her. Matt's mind swum with all the implications of what she was telling him. He held her tight and whispered in her ear, "Everything's going to be alright...just take it easy.". He pulled back to tell her, "Ok, first things first...does your head hurt anymore?". She shook her head. Then he asked, "Are you feeling ok now?". She nodded her head. Matt took a deep breath and then led her over to the passenger side door, his arm around her rubbing her back, opened it and said, "Let's go home, get some food in you and then talk, but C.J., whatever is wrong, it's going to be ok. I'll do whatever it takes to make sure of that." They kissed, he shut her door and then ran back around to drive them both home.

Once they got back to the beach house, C.J. walked in and up to the couch where she just sat down, staring out the window at the patio. She hadn't said much on the ride back which concerned Matt more and more with each mile. Finally though, they were back where he could talk to her, uninterrupted to see if there were some way he could figure out what was going on with her.

He started after sitting down next to her, "You hungry?"

She shook her head and furrowed her brow before saying, "I don't understand what happened, Matt...I don't think I've ever done that before. When I wrecked my car in Arizona I may have forgotten who I was, but I didn't just lose an hour out of my life like that."

Matt nodded and told her as he took her hand, "I remember losing that 30 days when Elgin Cody came back after me, making me believe I killed his secretary. I know how scary it is to lose time like that."

C.J. looked at him then and said after squeezing his hand, "Look at me, upset over an hour...its nothing I'm sure." She plastered a smile on her face.

Anyone else would have bought that, but Matt knew her for most of her life so he didn't. He told her after repositioning himself to face her, "This scared you, I know it did. Hell it scares me." He started running his hand through her hair and then said, "I have this fear deep in my gut that whatever happened to you before you came to Texas as a little girl is coming back to hurt you now."

She shook her head and squinted her eyes before rubbing her forehead and saying, "I barely remember my life before Texas, Matt. I'm sure whatever is wrong has nothing to do with that."

She got up and started to walk out to the patio. He followed her, "C.J...what do you remember?"

She shrugged as he came up behind her and softly put his hand on the small of her back, "Not much...I remember a birthday party here and there..." She looked down then and said, "I remember Daddy's funeral and my mother there crying." She started loose her balance but Matt moved closer to support her as she continued, "I...I remember her funeral..."

Seeing that she had stopped Matt prodded further, "How did she die?" His investigator instincts kicking in full steam now.

C.J. shook her head again furrowing her brow and squinting, trying to remember. "I don't know. I don't know how either of them died. I don't remember." Then she seemed to be looking out at the ocean in a trance and said almost too softly for Matt to hear, "I just remember burying them."

He rubbed her back and his instincts told him now to let it go. He would have to get what information he could from her slowly, take baby steps essentially. Whatever it was she didn't remember, he knew, was because of how deep the scars were from those memories.

Matt told her as he rubbed her back harder and started to turn her around, "Come on, let's get back in and get some dinner." She nodded and they did just that.

As he ran out to take the trash out to the dumpster, C.J. headed upstairs. The day had started taking its toll on her. She rubbed her eyes as and started to sit down. Matt's suitcase was on the bed beside her. When she moved it, it popped open. Laying on top was the lunchbox she thought looked familiar from her childhood. However almost as soon as she touched it she felt like she was going to lose the sandwich she ate for dinner.

Dropping the metal box back in Matt's bag she turned and went to the bathroom to be sick. Instead of actually being sick, she started having trouble breathing. She clutched her chest as the pain radiated out from there. Leaning against the wall she started taking deep breaths. _What is happening to me? _She thought to herself.

Matt started up the stairs after getting back in. He thought he was getting heartburn for a minute as he felt a slight burning in his chest. When he got to their bedroom he saw the bathroom door shut and the light on. Figuring C.J. was in there, probably getting ready to go to bed, which was exactly what he thought she needed, he proceeded to empty his suitcase. The dirty clothes went in the little bin she bought to take to the dry cleaners. The gun was in a zipper pouch and he took that to put in his drawer along with the lunchbox he found in that old house. For a second he thought about the fact that the bag was open when he got in the room and wondered if she saw it. He didn't want to show it to her right away. He had decided to do research on them both before approaching her with it.

"Matt..." she weakly called out from the bathroom.

Matt caught something in her voice that scared him and he immediately went in, finding her on the floor looking like she was having a heart attack. "C.J., what's wrong?". He knelt down not really knowing exactly were to put his hands first...around her waist to pick her up and carry her to his car? To her face where he could push her hair back? To her forehead to see if she had a fever?

She just looked up at him saying, "Something's really wrong with me and I don't know what...I think I should call Carol."

Matt didn't need to be asked twice. After sweeping her up in his arms and laying her on the bed he called Carol and offered to pay her whatever if she would just come over and check C.J. out.

He never left her side and had told Carol to just come in. After giving C.J. a brief examination and asking her a couple of questions, she told the both of them, "Well, it really looks like she had an anxiety attack."

C.J. asked still laying on the bed, "What? You mean it was all in my head?"

Carol shook her head, "Not exactly, but...well usually I see cases like this when someone is under a lot of stress. Now I know what kind of life you lead so it wouldn't surprise me exactly, but, well is there anything new that has caused you to worry more than normal?"

Matt blinked a couple of times and thought of something. He asked, "We're trying to start a family...would worrying about that cause something like this?"

C.J. looked down but Carol said with a smile on her face, "Are you kidding? Of course it can. That's great news though.". Then she noticed Matt had smiled but C.J. was almost faking hers. So she said, "Ah, Houston, do you mind letting C.J. and me have a moment...its been a while since we've had a little girl talk."

Matt nodded saying, "Of course.". Then he left. He went back downstairs to make a list of things he could do or maybe buy to help C.J. relax more.

Carol sat down on the bed by C.J. who had sat up. She said, "I think its wonderful that the two of you are starting to plan a family. You know you'll make a great mother."

C.J. smiled a little and then told her, "That's if I can get pregnant...Carol we've been trying for two months now and so far..." Her voice trailed off.

Carol smiled and chuckled before saying, "C.J...I usually don't sent my patients to a fertility specialist until at least 6 months go by if I don't find anything in the initial examination. Surely your OB told you that."

C.J. nodded and said, "She did and I know that, but...well...living with it is something different. I really don't want to let Matt down. Its been a dream of his to be a father and have a family for so long. I don't want to be the one who keeps him from being a father. I don't know what I'll have to do if..."

She had started to tear up again so Carol rubbed her arms, "You'll stay married to the most wonderful man in the world, I know you. The two of you have loved each other since you met, I think. I rarely see a husband as devoted as Matt has been to you, going all the way back to college when he would take those military leaves and surprise you on campus."

She smiled and then told Carol, "I know he is, I just want him to have everything, you know? What if I can't give him that? Its been two months, I..."

Carol interrupted, "Two months is nothing! Listen to me, I'm the doctor remember...I see this all the time. Stressing out about it will only make it harder to conceive. Trust me. In fact, I can't even tell you how many women I've seen that were so convinced after a few months of trying that they were sterile that they went out and adopted. About a month later, with that stress of conceiving gone, they come see me because...guess what...they're pregnant. The stress and worry is only going to work against you. You have an amazing husband. I think the two of you need to quit thinking about it and just relax and let nature take its course."

C.J. nodded and took a mild sedative that Carol gave her. After seeing C.J. start to drift off after another minute of talking about her boyfriend Jared, Carol went back downstairs.


	9. Chapter 9

9

Carol found Matt sitting on the couch with a little notepad. She came up behind him quietly enough to see what he had written down, _herbal tea, decaf coffee, amaretto coffee creamer, moscoto._ Carol started to chuckle.

Matt looked behind her and said, "What?" He genuinely looked puzzled. "I'm only making a list of things that will help bring her stress down. Isn't that what you said?"

Carol came around and sat down, "She told me about the two of you trying for the last couple of months. It is entirely normal for this to take more than that. I wouldn't worry so much until 6 months pass."

Matt nodded and then said, "She's blaming herself, as if she's doing something that's letting me down."

Carol then told him, "I know, I got that two. Stress can make it much more difficult to conceive too. I like your little list there, but let me recommend something to you." His ears perked up as she told him, "There are a couple of books on just this type of issue, local bookstores almost have a whole section devoted to them. I would suggest getting one. Also, C.J. needs to be very relaxed when you two are...uh...working on this." Matt shot her a look like he was about to say he knows exactly what he's doing but Carol cut him off before he could say it. "I know that during she probably is, most women are..." Matt turned a nice shade of pink for a second. "What I mean is that, well, there are things you can do to help the process along if stress is the real issue. I know that a few months ago you had her getting massages on a regular basis."

Matt nodded his head and said, "Yes I did. She was going at least once a week. Do you think that would help if she started doing that again?"

Carol hesitated and then said, "Well, it might. Have you ever considered giving her a massage? And I mean a real massage...one that starts with her feet and ends with you two in bed about an hour later."

Matt digested that and said, "No, not really..." Then he got that smile on his face when he said, "But it sounds like a wonderful idea."

Carol patted his back and said, "You can find books on those too." She stood up and said, "Now I gave her a mild sedative which should help her sleep tonight. Keep watch and call me if anything else happens."

That last sentence brought back for Matt everything that had been happening lately so he asked her before she got any further toward the stairs, "She's been having headaches too, bad ones. They reminded her of the migraines she used to have and today while we were working on a case she seemed to have a blackout. Could that have been caused by the stress and this anxiety attack?"

Carol looked more concerned and asked, "Migraines? You mean like the one she had back at Harvard that time?"

Matt didn't remember C.J. ever saying anything about having one since she was growing up in Texas. He said, "I don't know...she would get them every once in a while when we were growing up." He shook his head, "They were strong, so strong sometimes that she would pass out for hours. The one this week lasted a couple of days and had her sleeping a lot too. The always came on really suddenly too."

Carol then told him, "Well the one she had in Boston that time had me so scared that I thought about calling an ambulance. She came to pick me up in the lab, the anatomy lab. I figured at first it was just because of the graphic nature of the lab. You see we were learning anatomy by essentially performing autopsies. I was working on a male, early 40s who died of a gunshot wound to the head. After the police were done, they brought his body to Harvard since he had on his license to donate his body to science. It hit her really hard and really fast. She was sick for the rest of the week."

Matt then asked, "What about the blackout? How worried should I be?"

She told him after shrugging, "Well, it could very well be from the migraine, especially if its been a while since she had one. If it happens again, I'd consult a neurologist. It may be nothing though."

They shook hands and she left. Matt went upstairs to find her sleeping peacefully in the bed. He took a shower and then joined her as the sun had gone down. He carefully took her in his arms and held her all night long.

The next morning they woke up at almost the same time as the light shown through the window. C.J. sleepily rolled over to face her husband who brushed the hair out of her eyes. She told him, "Good morning, love of my life."

He smiled, kissed her forehead and said after brushing her hair back, "Good morning, beautiful love of my life." She smiled and the two kissed for a couple of minutes once he repositioned himself more even with her.

His arms still around her, began rubbing her back. Her leg went over his. Then one of his hands slipped under her night shirt, staying to her back. He broke the kiss and asked her, before going any further, "How are you feeling?"

She smiled and told him, "I'm feeling much better this morning, especially with the way I woke up." She leaned up to kiss him again, which he, again responded back, deepening their kiss. His hands moved around her back for a little while longer, while hers rubbed up and down his chest before moving lower.

Matt caught his breath for a second, breaking their kiss again when she reached down into his underwear. All he could do was close his eyes as she worked her magic on him. Softly whispering against her forehead he told her, "Oh...my...C.J...you...I..."

She kissed his chest as she started to position herself on top of him, removing her pajama bottoms first. He had to do the same and when she got directly on top of him, he sat up. Grabbing her around the waist as she sat on him, letting him slide right into her. He held her close to his chest as she moved around on him. He kept kissing her earlobe, telling her how sexy she was and how he wasn't sure how much longer he could hold back. His hands had gone to her breasts for a short while before his lips and tongue took over for his hands. He pressed each breast, one at a time into his mouth with his hands on her back, his tongue rolling her nipples all around his mouth.

She gasped for air at one point as she moved up and down and around on him. Then his hands moved to her hips as he tried to guide her, making sure he was hitting that sensitive spot. Her eyes rolled back in her head and the sight of her, losing control that way with her breast almost pointing toward the ceiling with her rock hard nipples, made Matt have to concentrate harder and harder on maintaining control.

After about half an hour he could take no more and rolled her over under him, upping the tempo, hitting that spot harder and harder. Her breath came more and more uneven as she neared the summit, the point of no return. His hands went to either side of her head as he alternated his rhythm finding one that finally pushed her delightfully over the edge. The climax coming harder than she had anticipated as her body shook involuntarily for a solid two minutes. Of course, seeing that sent Matt careening over the edge.

He held on to her as she finished, taking longer than him. Matt kept whispering in her ear, "Enjoy it, just relax and enjoy it. I love you so much, C.J."

As her spasms finally receded she looked in his eyes, which were just inches from hers. Barely able to speak she said, "Matt...that was...I..."

Matt smiled and brushed a lock of hair from her eyes as he rubbed them and her cheeks. He told her softly, "I know, you really enjoyed yourself. You have no idea what it does to me to see you like that. I love so much knowing that I can do that for you. I love you so much."

She got out, "I love you, Matt. You are only one that I can be like this with. You are the only one I really ever let loose like this with. Its amazing how close and connected I feel to you every time." They kissed for several more minutes before getting up together, showering together and then getting their coffee and heading into the office.

Uncle Roy was waiting for them with Baby already turned on. He told them after clearing his throat seeing them still kissing in the elevator, "Uh hum...glad for you two to finally make it in this morning."

They both smiled and C.J. told them as she started to move from Matt, "I need to go check a couple a things in my office. I'll join you two at Baby in a minute."

Matt kissed her one more time and then let her go. His uncle smiled as they walked in together, "I used to come in late a few times too when I worked at the university, many times with that same smile on my face."

Matt told him, "Why don't we focus on the case, huh?" Roy sat down and started punching buttons. He was telling Matt as C.J. walked in, "So the only new development is that three of the men are now claiming legally that they are the father of Dove. I talked to my old friend Dr. Joseph Winston. He works at Wilshire Memorial. Told me they have a fine facility can that handle all the testing. I think we should meet all three over there and get at least one question solved. I already called and told them to meet us over there. They should all be heading over there now."

Matt nodded and C.J. stepped around Roy to Matt and sat beside him. She told both of them, "That would be a good start, copies of all the legal forms are on my desk. Seems the only one not claiming to be the father is Randy Larson."

Matt then asked, "Randy Larson, now that's the drummer, right?"

Roy then said, "Yes he is. He started an affair with Macy about ten years ago. Seems he likes to party every where he goes and loves the ladies, including your wife there."

C.J. then gave Matt a little smile as he turned sharply back to look at her, "What do you mean?"

C.J. then swallowed and explained, "Well, he seemed rather, uh, amorous when he was here the day we took the case and wanted to take me to dinner. I told him I'd be talking to my husband over dinner and then he asked me if he could come by for dessert. I told him no."

Matt took a couple of deep breaths as both Roy and C.J. seemed to be looking at him, knowing quite well what was going through his head at that moment. He decided to surprise them, "Well, I'm glad you told him no. Now that, that is settled, let's get to the hospital, shall we?" He held his hand out to his confused wife. She took it and shot Roy a look who also seemed confused and they got to the elevator.

Roy said, "I'm impressed Matlock. I was actually afraid you would want to run out and go have a little talk with Larson."

Matt then said as his hand went around C.J.'s waist, "Now Uncle Roy, I know C.J. wouldn't be interested in this Larson character and I know well how the law works. My confronting him might just land me in jail. I certainly wouldn't want to do that."

He smiled at both of them. As they got out to the car David Matheson was approaching it. "Mr. Houston, I'm so glad I ran into you..." Matt was trying to gesture to him that now wasn't the best time while Roy bit his lip and C.J. looked more and more confused, but he kept going. "Judge Salinger just sent over one more form to be signed. When they arrested you..." C.J. then turned and sharply looked at Matt who tried to smile back. "They forgot to have you sign a form stating that you did not need medical attention after the bar fight." C.J.'s eyes got bigger and she took a very deep breath. He continued, "They need this signed to officially put the case to rest and it will protect both you and Owen Richardson from potential civil law suits."

At the sound of the name Owen Richardson, C.J. looked directly back at Matt who signed the papers quickly, nodding to Matheson who then cheerfully thanked him again for allowing him to represent him, Bo and Lamar before heading upstairs to file everything.

Matt said, "Ok, let's go," but C.J. didn't move. She stood there with her hands on her hips.

"A bar fight? Owen Richardson? What about 'I know the law and certainly wouldn't want to get arrested' speech you just gave me and Uncle Roy?" She asked clearly irritated.

He put his hand on his abdomen and said, "Well, why don't we just say that I clearly learned my lesson and just move on..." He took a deep breath as clearly she wasn't buying his attempt to dodge the lecture he knew was coming.

She walked slowly over to him and said, "No, why don't we talk about it a little more...was that what was going on in Texas? Did Bo and Lamar catch up to Owen and decide to bring you in on some wager they lost to him or something? Was that the 'man's thing' I couldn't possibly understand?" Matt was trying to get a word in, but she wasn't letting him. She continued, "I know you know that I dated Owen and that it didn't exactly end well..."

Matt interrupted then with his arms folded and said, "He hit you. The man needed to answer to that."

C.J. put her hand up, "He hit me years ago, Matt and now you have yet another disturbing the peace charge against you or assault for which you've already plead no contest I'm assuming. Why on earth didn't you call me? I'm the lawyer, remember?" Her voice was raised and she was pointing to herself.

Roy then tried to interject, "C.J. we just didn't want to worry you..."

She spun around quickly, "I knew it. You knew about this when it happened, right? That's why Matheson went out there. You arranged everything...both of you...I swear." Then she started to walk off toward the car.

Matt caught up to her and took her arm, "I know I should have handled it better, C.J. None of us planned anything. Bo, Lamar and I were just in Lucky's for a drink and Owen opened his mouth, that's all. I'm sorry, but I can't just stand around while a man like that spews the garbage out of his mouth that he was about you and let him get away with it."

She seemed to soften before saying, "So, he was talking about me, huh? I'm surprised he even remembers me."

Matt then said as he could see he was making progress here, "Yes he does and for the record, most of the bar fights in Lucky's were when I was keeping guys away from you. None of those guys were ever good enough for you, and for a long time, I didn't think I was good enough for you. You deserve nothing but the best, C.J." That last sentence was laced with a vulnerability C.J. had only seen a couple of times.

Those last couple of lines sufficiently got Matt out of the doghouse. C.J.'s heart actually skipped a beat as she put her arms around his waist and told him, "I have the best right here." Matt smiled just before she pulled back and said, "Now, don't do that again, and if you ever do anything that gets you arrested, you better make damn sure you call me first!" As she left his side to get in the passenger side of Matt's car she said louder, "And I certainly hope Bo and Lamar know I'll be calling them later."

Matt nodded and caught Roy laughing in his car as he drove out of the parking lot. Matt just nodded to him with a sarcastic smile on his face and then got in the car and left.


	10. Chapter 10

10

On the ride over Matt told her, "Judge Salinger says hi by the way."

C.J. smiled for a second and then said, "He's still around? I would have thought he'd have retired by now. He must be 70."

Matt told her, "He's actually 75 and a big fan of yours. Told me to tell you that you were missed and that he's always looking for your articles in the Law Review. He's proud of you."

She smiled and then said, "You know I clerked for him just after my 3rd year at Harvard. He taught me so much about local law, although, if I remember correctly, he runs things a bit informally."

He said, "He remembers you helping me talk my way out of a couple of charges from time to time."

She chuckled again and said, "I remember that too. You know, if he really liked me, I probably could have talked you out of this one." Then she got serious, "Why didn't you call me?"

Matt still didn't want to tell her the real reason Bo and Lamar called him down to Texas, but he really didn't want to lie so he said, "C.J., Bo and Lamar are worried about keeping up with Floyd's old property and they wanted me to look over a few things." She put her head down for a second, which Matt noticed. He continued, "Your life there wasn't an easy one and none of us wanted you think about all the ways Floyd and Missy made you feel bad when you grew up there. We just didn't want to bring up ancient history."

C.J. nodded and then said, "You know I have some pretty great memories in Texas too though."

Matt smiled as she squeezed his hand and said, "I know, we both do, but that house isn't one of them. When we do go visit, C.J. you never go down to that old place and I don't blame you."

She nodded her head as they pulled in to the parking lot of the hospital. Sure enough all three would be Dads were there, Sam Perkins, Joshua Blake and Darrin Calindis, along with little Dove. Perkins held her and was telling the others as they walked up, "Listen, I'd rather not put her through this. Why can't all of you just acknowledge, like Randy has, that she's my daughter."

That was when the bickering started and Dove started to cry. C.J. walked over to Perkins and said, "Listen, while all of you argue about this, why don't I take Dove inside and buy her some juice, alright? Clearly this is all upsetting her."

Perkins reluctantly agreed and CJ. took the little girl by the hand and walked her inside. After getting her orange juice from the cafeteria she asked her, bending down to her level, "Do you like orange juice?"

The little girl nodded, "Yes, I do. I like chocolate milk and cookies and cereal too." She sipped through the straw.

C.J. smiled and told her, "I think the doctor will want you to take a little test. It won't hurt, they'll just put a little cotton swab in you mouth for a second and that's it. Would that be ok? It won't hurt I promise."

The girl smiled and said, "I do good at tests. Sandy made me a school and I take tests and get the treasure box."

C.J. asked her, "You get a prize from the treasure box at school?"

She smiled and said, "Yes I do. I like bubbles." She drank the rest of her juice. and told C.J. more about her favorite toys and what she like to do at home while they waited for the others.

Outside Perkins was still yelling, protesting on behalf of Dove, he claimed. Roy told him, "Listen, I talked to Dr. Winston and he assures me that no blood needs to be drawn and they can do all this with a swab from inside your mouth. Its not going to hurt Dove."

Calindis then spoke up, "What are you so afraid of Sam? You afraid you'll find out you're really not the father? Macy always looked after her, not you. She lived with Macy and saw you, what, maybe 3 times a year? Usually when you wanted to renegotiate your contract. She doesn't even call you Daddy now does she?"

Perkins then said, "What she calls me is beside the point, you two are both wanting to put her through something she shouldn't have to go through, all for your own economic gain. Exactly how much time did she really spend with Macy and not Sandy, huh? That nanny is more of a mother to her than Macy was."

Blake then interjected, "You all really should be ashamed of yourselves. Macy loved Dove, I know she did, I saw it. I'm sorry but Darrin is right, she doesn't really know herself who her father is. I tried but she was really little when we were together, but that little girl needs some stability..."

Darrin then said, "And what? You are going to provide that? You tour how many months a year? I can stay home with her..."

Perkins then said, "Of course in Macy's house with all that money right..."

Matt then interrupted, "Alright, now hold it fellas. Now I would think that all three of you would want this so one of you can find out you're a father today. Mr. Perkins, if you are so sure you're the father, why not prove it, huh? This would eliminate all doubt right?"

Perkins came back with, "It seems like I'm the only one thinking of Dove here, the way a true father would."

Matt put his hand up before the other two could come back with a rebuttal and directed them inside.

C.J. took Dove by the hand and led her to the lab where she kept holding her hand as they conducted the test. Then she smiled at C.J. and said, "That didn't hurt at all."

Matt came in with the three men and Perkins picked up Dove and said, "Are you ok, honey? It didn't hurt, right?" She shook her head and Perkins was told to open his mouth, which he did and then the two left.

Matt watched C.J. as her eyes followed the two out. He could see clearly her concern for Dove and maybe even a bit of wistfulness and knew why. Walking over to her, he rubbed her back for a second, communicating his love to her again. She leaned back in his arms for just a second, communicating back.

Blake went next and said softly, "You know I was there when she was born. Such a beautiful little bundle. I feel in love right away. I hand picked that nanny, you can't be too careful you know. It was amazing...to fall in love so quickly, and scary too. I told myself when Macy and I broke up that taking myself out of Dove's life was the best thing for her, but now I feel like I need to fight for her. I doubt I am the father, but if there is even the slightest chance our affair brought that little girl into this world, I have to know the truth, Mr. Houston. No matter what you may think of me, I only want what's best for Dove."

Then Calindis went, willingly opening his mouth. Then he asked, "These hospitals are secured right? There is no way Perkins can get in here and switch the results?"

The lab tech looked at him like he was crazy and then said, "No, there is no way the results are getting switched. The lab is a bit backed up though so this will probably take us a couple of days."

They all nodded and then left. Matt's arm stayed around C.J.'s waist as they walked out. He asked her, "You hungry?"

She seemed lost in her thoughts but responded, "Not really. I need to get back to the office. It seems like there are fewer and fewer forms I need to sign on a daily basis and I need to find out what's going on."

Matt then told her as they got to the car, "Well, that's probably because I told the two associate VPs to handle some of it." She shot him a look but he continued, "I just thought you could use a little break from all that for a couple of days to recover from your headache."

C.J. then nodded and told him, "Well, until we can find out who the father is, we could focus more on Macy and what happened."

Matt then said, "You mean figure out who killed her if in fact she didn't just fall down a flight of stairs. The scene of the crime is usually the best place to start."

She nodded and then said as they were driving over to Macy's house, "According to the autopsy report, she suffered a blunt force trauma to the head and a broken neck. Hoyt said she hit all 30 steps when she fell and none of them have alibis."

Matt then said, "Yeah, Hoyt filled me in on the ride over to the funeral yesterday. Larson claims to have been sleeping off the last all nighter he was a part of, Blake claims he was alone writing his next big hit, Calindis was out driving around in his new car and Perkins claimed he was alone in his office working out the calendar for Macy's next tour."

C.J. then said, "Not a strong alibi in the bunch."

When they pulled in they had to get around the crime scene tape, they saw Warren and Hoyt. Hoyt was telling him, "Look, I'm glad you have a life, but let's keep this in perspective shall we?" Then much louder he said, "We have a high profile murder investigation to conduct here. Now I'm sorry but that trumps your vacation time to take out your new girlfriend!"

Warren then said, "Look, all I'm asking for is a few days off. I think I've got it coming to me. How about I make you a deal, I don't ask again and you give me a week after I solve this little mystery, alright?"

Hoyt almost laughed, "You really think you're that hot shot a detective that you can solve this whole case yourself?"

Warren then said after looking at Matt, "Well, I'm pretty confident that between us and Houston we can get it solved fast enough for me and Chris to make our flight next week."

Hoyt then stuck out his hand, "Ok, fine, you get this solved by next week and you can have your week off. If not, you just lost your deposit on your flight reservations." They shook hands.

Matt then asked after Warren was called over by another officer, "Nothing wrong with a little confidence Hoyt." Hoyt was rubbing his head.

He stopped and said to Matt, "No, obviously not. Now if he could only do what his mouth is claiming he can. You know I hold you partially responsible."

C.J. then smiled and asked, "Why? Because Chris works for us?"

Hoyt then answered, "No, because he's too much like you Houston. Doesn't have a problem bending the rules a little bit to get his way. He sees you do it on a consistent basis and thinks its just fine."

Matt then said, "It probably doesn't help that I solve quite a few cases now does it."

Hoyt looked at him really irritated and said, "No it doesn't. Now what do you two want...oh wait...let me guess. You want to look over the crime scene yourselves...well, knock yourselves out. Nothing out of place, killer didn't take anything, no jewelry nothing. The only thing out of place is the rug at the top of the stairs. It would appear she stepped on it and slipped." They started walking up the huge staircase as he continued, "See how only one edge hangs over? We think she stepped on it and slipped. Why she didn't grab the railing, we don't know, unless..."

Matt finished the sentence, "Unless she was pushed and didn't have time to grab it."

Hoyt nodded and then said, "None of our suspects can account for where they were when all this happened."

Matt then said as he looked at the stairs, "That's quite a fall for someone who wasn't drinking, on drugs or anything else. The tox screen was clear. No, I can't see why else she wouldn't grab that railing unless she was pushed." They shook their heads.

C.J.'s last comment was, "At least Dove was out with the nanny and didn't see anything."


	11. Chapter 11

11

Matt drove C.J. back to the office where she could go through any new paperwork put on her desk and then told her he and Roy would be heading out to conduct interviews. He figured Roy should be back after having lunch again with that Dr. Winston, he said something about seeing Rosie again but it made no sense to Matt, just made the two older men laugh.

As soon as the two got in Matt's car he asked, "So Uncle Roy, what did Bloodhound find out about Floyd?"

Roy took a deep breath, "Well, the government's file on Floyd is actually pretty interesting."

Matt asked, "Interesting how?"

Roy then told him, "Well it seems our Mr. Garrison served in Vietnam in the late 50s as an advisor. Turns out he was in a special forces division, green berets. Then after serving his country went to work for the U.S. Marshals in a classified capacity."

Matt furrowed his brow, "U.S. Marshals...that's who was guarding the property. What did he do for them?"

Roy shrugged, "The file wasn't entirely clear, like I said it was classified. Even Bloodhound had a hard time getting through it, but it appears he was hand chosen for the Witness Protection Program and paid by them for about 10 years."

Matt then looked at his uncle and said, "Let me guess...those ten years coincide with the time C.J. was living with them."

Roy nodded his head, "Yes it does. And to answer your next question, no the file doesn't give specifics as to who the person being protected was or what they witnessed exactly other than a blanket charge. The only thing I could find was that he was paid those years and protected someone in that general area who witnessed that crime."

Matt got a sick feeling in his stomach and asked, "What was that crime Uncle Roy?"

Roy answered solemnly, "Murder."

Matt blinked and took deep breath, his emotions threatening to take over, "Murder... I... Uncle Roy do you think... I mean that can't be what..."

Roy told him, "I don't know boy. It could be that Floyd was protecting someone on a nearby ranch and needed to look the part so the government provided C.J., an orphan, to help keep the cover, or..."

Matt swallowed hard and said, "Or it most likely means she was the one to witness the murder and was the one being protected...at 9 years old, if not before."

Roy just said, "We don't know that."

Matt then said as they pulled up to Perkin's house, "For some reason I think I do know that. It would explain why it hurts her so much to think about her life before moving in with Floyd." He sat there for just a second and then said shaking his head, "My god...to be that young and witness something so traumatic and not even have your parents around to talk to, to feel safe with."

Roy then said again, "Matlock, we still don't know everything. Wait until we do before you think too hard about it. Listen, Bill told me a few things before he died."

Matt turned sharply and looked at him and asked, "What all did he tell you?"

Roy then took a deep breath, "He told me C.J. was adopted. It tore Bill up a little seeing Floyd and Missy not really bring C.J. into the family and not explain to her why. That's why he worked so hard to make your home feel like her home. Bill told me it wasn't entirely that they didn't want her, they were afraid of getting too close to her and something happening to her. They didn't tell him everything so he asked me if I had any friends in the company that I could ask."

Roy stopped talking and seemed to get choked up for a second so Matt waited, but then prodded, "What did you find out?"

Roy then composed himself and said, "I'm sorry, it...it was just one of the few times my brother actually came to me and asked for help. He didn't care about pride or anything like that, just C.J. He just wanted to know that she was safe, that's all. I couldn't find anything out. The Marshals were keeping a tight lid on whatever it was and that just scared Bill more. For a while he had bodyguards he hired as hands to help Floyd out on his property, didn't even tell Floyd who they were."

He nodded, "I remember a couple of hands that didn't know the front of a horse from its backside that Daddy kept that I never understood why. Now I guess I do."

Roy then asked, "What do you want to do now?"

Matt then answered with all firmness, "Nothing. I have Bo and Lamar keeping tabs on Floyd's house. Whoever set fire to it probably thinks they destroyed whatever it was they wanted destroyed, either what is in that box or that gun. I can get Greg to watch the beach house if I need to, but so far all I've seen is that one car and I'm not entirely sure they were actually watching the beach house. I'll keep my guard up and you keep yours up, but I don't want C.J. knowing about any of this right now. She's been so stressed out that she had an anxiety attack last night." Roy's eyebrows raised but Matt assured him quickly, "She's fine, Uncle Roy, Carol came right over and checked her out. But her stress level needs to go down and bringing up this ancient history is only going to increase it not decrease it."

Roy then said, "I've never seen you run away from anything before. You really want to just drop this?"

Matt told him, "Yes I do. Look...I don't know exactly what it was that she witnessed, but whatever it was, just trying to think about leaves her physically ill. Every time we have gone to her parent's grave site, she gets so ill that I almost have to take her to the hospital to get checked out. She gets sick at her stomach so bad that she can't eat for days or even get out of bed really. That memory has attached itself to everything she remembers before Texas and I'll be damned if I'm going to push her to relive it."

He got out of the car and slammed the door shut. Matt wasn't mad at his uncle just at everything he had just learned. He knew when he met her by the creek that first time that she had experienced something similar to what he had when he was kidnapped, only it could possibly be worse. How could he make her face that? How could he take her from feeling safe and secure with him back to a time when she witnessed someone killed in front of her with no one to feel safe with. No, if there were any possible way, he never wanted her to remember that again. They would move forward, not backward. Somewhere though, deep in his gut, he knew she would have to face it again. He was just trying so hard to deny it now.

They got to the door and Roy came up beside him. Matt started to apologize and Roy told him, not to worry. He knew where the response came from, his heart.

Perkins answered the door himself, "So...what are the results?" He seemed nervous.

Matt answered, "Well, the results won't be back for a couple of days. We were just hoping to talk to you for a minute to help clear all this up."

Perkins let them in and said, "Clear all this up, well aren't you one for understating the obvious. What can I do to help you? I wasn't the one who killed her."

Matt then asked, "Well we just wanted to get a few of the facts right. Seems you told police you were alone, lining up all of Macy's tour dates that day she died."

Perkins said as he led them into a living type room in this huge house and they sat down, "Yes I was. It isn't easy planning concerts in 8 countries in 30 days."

Matt said as Roy looked around at the room, "I'll bet, now did you happen to make any phone calls while you were doing all this planning?"

Perkins replied, "No, I hadn't gotten that far yet."

Matt then asked, "Well, it just seems like you would need to call all those places and make sure they would let Macy use their stage..."

Perkins then laughed, "Are you kidding? Clearly you didn't follow her, she could have any stage any time. There were dates we didn't even book until the night before when she got it in her head to go somewhere to visit. She had the world eating out of the palm of her hand. She'd call me, last minute to book her for the next night in Zurich and I'd have to stay up til midnight to call and get it, just because she wanted to go visit."

Matt then said, "That must have been irritating and demeaning. I mean she had already dumped you for someone else and then had you as a lackey, running around doing whatever she wanted you to do? Tell me somethin, don't agents usually get a lot more being a celebrity's lackey? That must have been awfully frustrating."

Perkins stood up and said, "Not that frustrating. You're right, she did dump me and she tried to fire me. She thought if she treated me bad enough I would just leave. But you see gentlemen, I have a child with her, so no, I wasn't going anywhere. Besides that I may only get 5% of her earnings but when you make as much as she does, 5% goes a long way. The one I would talk to is Blake. He's the one that actually caught her in bed with another man and don't let him fool you. That divorce was not as cordial as it appeared. Now, if you'll excuse me. I have dates to cancel."

Matt then asked him as he was leaving, "You know this is an awful big house..." Perkins froze as he continued, "I'm betting it costs more than the $2 mil you are only now getting. I just wondering Uncle Roy, what I'll find out if I go run a financial check on Mr. Perkins here."

Perkins spun back around and told him, "Yeah, I've got a few financial...uh... challenges to face. But I did not kill Macy. It would be stupid of me to do that, she was like a cash cow if you will. I kill her and I lose it all. Please see yourselves out, now."

With that he left the room. Roy walked over to Matt who had gotten up and said, "Matt, did you say the person you thought might be watching the beach house left a weird European cigarette butt on the pavement?"

Matt nodded and said, "Yeah they did, it looked Italian."

Roy then pointed to the desk with a pack of cigarettes on it, imported from Italy. Both he and his uncle looked at each other and when they got to the car, Matt called Greg.

Matt had one little stop to make before getting back to the penthouse. Roy looked over at him as they pulled into the parking lot of a large bookstore. "What are we doing here?"

Matt told him, "Uncle Roy, you can probably stay in the car. I just need to run inside for a minute."

Roy asked, "You doing some reading? I'm not saying you shouldn't, it just doesn't seem like you."

Matt looked at him puzzled, "What do you mean it doesn't seem like me. I read."

Roy raised his brow and said, "You read what? Give me a list of authors you read."

Matt wasn't expecting that question, "Well, there's Zane Gray and...well... it doesn't matter. I'm going in, you coming or waiting out here."

Roy smiled and told him, "I'm going in. Lucy wants to start Zumba lessons together. I'm thinking I may just do some advance reading to make sure I'm up for it."

Matt got in and found the section on pregnancy and fertility. He felt a little self conscious as most of the other patrons around him were female. Matt would smile politely as he found 7 books that looked good to him. He carried them over to the section with the massage books. A few looked like they were legitimate massage books while others looked like they were published for other reasons. There was actually one one pregnancy and massage with a whole chapter that dealt with stress and fertility, so he decided that one would do it and came with a small sample of a lavender essential oil mix.

He got to the checkout at the same time as Roy but was able to basically keep the book hidden from Roy's view. He had also decided to buy C.J. another journal. This had a baby and hearts on the front that he planned to give her the day their first child came home with them.

After getting their purchases, they walked back to the car. Roy had opted not get a bag but was reading his as he walked out with Matt. His only comment as he got in the car was, "Maybe I should convince her take up the waltz. I'm not sure I'm ready for all this."

They got back to the office where Matt found C.J. reading through a stack of papers all with sticky notes where she was supposed to sign on them. He walked in and asked her, "How are you feeling?"

She looked up and answered with a smile on her face, "Just fine. How did you meeting with Perkins go?"

He nodded as he sat down in the chair in front of her desk, "Fine. He's sticking to his story that he was booking travel dates for Macy. I asked if he was making calls to see if we could get a copy of his phone records to compare his statement to, but he says he wasn't. Told me to look more closely at Joshua Blake and that their divorce wasn't as rosy as the papers claimed it was. He's also in need of money. I wonder if he was willing to wait it out and gain more and more with Macy or just cash in now. I think I'll take his advice and talk to ex husband number two."

C.J. looked back at the stack of papers, "Well, why don't you do that. Go see him and see what he says. I just wish the crime scene would have given us more to go on."

He agreed and said, "Ok, well, I'll go talk to him and meet you at the beach house, alright? Hopefully this Joshua Blake can give us something we can use."

At that point Chris squealed a little again which kind of startled Matt. She told him in a rather excited voice, "Can I go with you, please? I won't ask any questions or anything, but...I mean...to go to his house! Please!"

Matt smiled for a second and said, "Sure thing, go grab your stuff and I'll meet you at the elevator." She left and he looked back at C.J. who was trying hard not to laugh.

She told him, "Oh come on, surely you were aware that the Bay Boys are the hottest thing since George Strait."

Matt raised a brow and said as he walked over to her, "Why Ms. Parsons, don't tell me you are comparing a boy band with a legend the likes of George Strait."

She smiled, trying not to laugh as she stood up and went into his arms, "It's Parsons-Houston remember?"

He told her after kissing her, "When you compare George Strait to the Bay Boys, it's Parsons."

They both laughed then as he kissed her and she said, "I didn't say I was comparing them and I did fully recognize George Strait as the standard you know."

He smiled, kissed her one more time and said, "That's better. We'll be back as soon as we can." She told him once more to be careful to which he nodded walking away and saying, "I know I know."


	12. Chapter 12

12

As Matt and Chris were making their way to Blake, C.J. was finishing up all her paperwork. Roy was reading something on the couch and it was getting close to 5 already so she told him as she made her way over to him, "Whatcha got there?"

He looked up for a second with a look of concentration and then said, "Well, I was reading about this zumba dance that Lucy wants us to do together, but I'm thinking I need to recommend something a little more...uh..."

C.J. smiled for a second. She knew what zumba was and in fact had taken a class in college to satisfy her physical education requirement on different dances and distinctly remembered it. She told him, "Something slower, perhaps?" He looked at her as she explained, "The two weeks we did zumba in my dance class in college I thought I was going to have a heart attack. And I was 20 at the time."

Roy then took a deep breath and said, "Yeah, I'm thinking a nice slow waltz would be better. I should probably take this book back and get one on that. See if I can't convince her."

She told him, "Well, I was thinking about going to the bookstore before I head back home. Why don't you follow me?"

He agreed and they left. They ended up at the exact same bookstore he had been at earlier. Roy exchanged his book rather quickly while C.J. was still looking around. He told her he was leaving and she took her time looking through all the pregnancy and fertility books. She found 7 she thought were interesting, they weren't in the right place though, but just piled on a table by some slightly pornographic massage books. She wondered for a moment exactly who was looking at pregnancy books and pornographic massage books at the same time.

She got the books and headed home. Figuring Matt and Chris wouldn't take that long she threw a couple of hamburgers on the grill and had them done when the phone rang.

Matt got an earful from Chris as he rode over with her to Blake's mansion. She had all the gossip, "Ok, well according to The Bay Boys Babes, its a all girl fan club, Joshua and Macy had this really fast and furious love affair about four years ago. It was like a fairytale, they met while the Bay Boys were opening for her and they practically lived together for a full year before they got married. See then she got him his contract with her label. What I heard is that no other label would touch them but because they were sleeping together and 'in love' she arranged everything."

Matt then asked, "So, in other words, if they weren't together, the Bay Boys may not have been as famous as they are now."

Chris just looked horrified for a second and said, "Bite your tongue, they are the most awesome band with the most unique sound and beat and..."

Matt cut her off and said, "I know I know, they're the best thing since George Strait."

Chris said, "Who?"

Matt did a double take and said, "George Strait, Chris don't tell me you don't know who..." She clearly didn't so he said, "I'll explain later, so Joshua got this contract and then his band took off right?"

Chris then smiled bright again and said, "Yep, but then Macy broke Joshua's heart when they were out on tour. He came back to surprise her, see that's the kind of sweetheart he is, and found her in bed with her drummer." She shook her head.

Matt then said, "I take it you don't like the drummer?"

Chris then said, "He sleeps with anything that moves and he and Macy were known to hook up whenever she wanted."

Matt nodded his head and said, "I heard he came on to C.J. Maybe I should have my own little talk with him."

Chris smiled and said, "As long as it doesn't get you arrested again." He looked surprised and said, "Oh its all over the office, Barney said you were trying desperately to get that lawyer to keep quiet but he didn't catch on. Then C.J. read you the riot act."

Matt looked up for a second and then said, "Ok, back to Blake, he left Macy after catching her with her drummer. Then what?"

Chris told him, "Well, he handled it well, at least at first." Then she almost looked nervous.

Matt prodded, "What do you mean, at first?"

Chris then took a deep breath and told him, "Well, a couple of weeks after the break up the label dropped them. Then, well, I don't know how true all this is, but there was a rumor that he tore up a hotel room one night after finding out. If they did drop him, it didn't last long. Their next album was with the same label. Rumor was Macy tried to get them dropped but they were rising then and there was no way the label would drop a group so talented, so bound for stardom so..."

Matt told her, "I get it, so profitable, right?" She nodded so he continued, "Ok, if something happened to her now, what would Blake have to gain from it?"

Chris told him, again nervous, "Well, there is also a rumor that this last tour was Macy's last headlining with that label. See some of the upper level guys in the label thought she was getting too old and wanted to replace her with a more popular band."

Matt then speculated, "The Bay Boys were next in line, right?"

She nodded and said, "Well, see the thing is, last month The Bay Boys Babes were talking all about how they were going to be headlining and well...then about three weeks ago they speculated that Macy wasn't going down without a fight and the Boys were getting pushed back again, meaning..."

Matt then filled in the blanks, "Meaning they remain second fiddle for a while longer." She nodded and he said, "Sounds like a motive for murder to me."

They pulled in the drive and Chris said, "I'm sorry Houston, but you are just wrong on this one. There is no way someone as talented as Joshua Blake would kill Macy Raven. The Bay Boys are already as big if not bigger than she was! He was married to her and loved her and..."

Matt shot Chris a skeptical look before saying, "Chris now you know as well as I do that folks have murdered for less than what your Mr. Blake here stands to gain from her death." She started to protest again, but he stopped her, "Now I'm not saying he's the prime suspect yet, alight? Why don't we go in and see what the man has to say, ok?

She nodded and they got out and got to the door. Joshua Blake himself answered it looking really tired. He barely said "Hi" and then turned to walk in leaving the door open for Matt and Chris to follow.

They got to the kitchen where he said as he walked over to the coffee machine on his granite countertop, "You two want a cup? I don't feel that well so you'll have to excuse me."

Chris spoke up a little shyly, "I'm fine. You have a beautiful house here."

Joshua turned back around and faced them nodding taking a drink. Matt then said, "Yes you do. Look I was wondering if you wouldn't mind answering a couple of questions."

Joshua told him, "A couple maybe..." Then he rubbed his neck and said, "I just have a really bad headache right now. I've had it for the last couple of hours and nothing seems to help. I guess its all the stress of the last few days catching up with me. First Macy and then the death threats..."

Matt furrowed his brow and said, "Death threats? You've been getting death threats?'' Joshua nodded and Matt continued, "What kind of threats are they and when did they start? Did you get a letter or has someone done something?"

Joshua nodded again and walked over to a larger room with a piano in it. He picked up a piece of paper and handed it to Matt. It read in cut out letters, _Macy was first, you'll be second_. Joshua then told him, "The police checked it out, no prints or anything and no way of knowing if its real or not. A Det. Warren told me its probably some freak show trying to make himself famous with Macy's death."

Matt nodded and said, "Nevertheless, I would still bring in some extra security."

Joshua then said, "Why don't we go to the sun room, its vented. I want a smoke and I don't do that in the house, brings down the value." They followed him outside to a pool area where he got the same brand of Italian cigarettes Perkins had in his house.

Matt asked him as Joshua lit it up, "That's an interesting pack there."

Joshua looked at it and told him, "Yeah, Macy used to get them for me. Not many people knew she smoked. These were her favorites. She certainly got me hooked."

Matt then asked, "So both her ex husbands smoke them?" He nodded and then Matt asked, "What about her drummer or current husband?"

Joshua tapped off the ashes and said, "Yeah I pretty sure Darrin smokes them and Randy...who knows...probably. I don't talk to him much."

Matt then asked, "That's right, that was who you caught Macy with. Its what led to your divorce am I right?"

Joshua looked a little startled but then said, "Yeah, you'd be right. At least that was the final straw. I loved Macy I really did, but when we started touring on opposite sides of the country, well...lets just say we fell out of love as quickly as we fell into it. We never saw each other. That's no way to have a marriage."

Matt asked, "I heard you lost it in your hotel room, ended up paying a lot in damages..."

Joshua then said, "Yeah, I got a little angry when we got news the label was ditching us. Didn't last long though, because our next hit had already played in New York and was getting all kinds of interest. There was no way the label was dropping us after that. Actually if anything, it made Macy more angry than anyone else."

Matt speculated, "So if it made Macy mad, that would give her a good reason to try to stay the headliner for the label as long as possible to leave you as second fiddle, right?"

Joshua took a deep breath and rubbed his forehead again, "Yeah, maybe, but whatever. She was getting older. There was no way the label would keep her on forever. I've got a lot of years left and an offer from another label to make us the headliners. Our contract expires next month and we might do just that. Trust me, Mr. Houston, I have no reason to want Macy dead. In fact I care a lot about Dove, she's like a daughter to me even if the tests say otherwise. I love that little girl and I never want to see her crying like I did yesterday, begging for her mother who won't be holding her again."

Chris then started rubbing her neck too and Matt noticed. He asked, "Chris, you ok?"

She closed her eyes and started to stutter, "I...uh...I just don't feel that good all of a sudden."

Matt then blinked thinking he didn't feel that well either. He asked Joshua who looked like he was about to pass out along with Chris and said, "Joshua, how long did you say you've had that headache?" He felt like he was asking in slow motion.

Joshua then answered almost in slow motion, "It started the afternoon...I...uh...I just..."

Matt then stood up and took Chris by the waist as she didn't appear able to move much. He then put his other arm around Joshua and took the both out the back door to Joshua's back yard. Chis collapsed and Joshua knelt beside her shaking her shoulders, "Hey...are you ok...hey wake up..."

Matt took a couple of deep breaths and asked him, "Joshua, is anyone else still in the house?"

Joshua looked up confused but shook his head. Matt then ran out to his car after checking on Chris who was breathing but unconscious. "Hang on Chris...I'm gonna get you to the hospital." He called it in and within minutes cruisers arrived with Hoyt and Warren not far behind.

They were loading Chris in the ambulance with Matt walking beside her when Warren came rushing over. "What the hell happened? Chris..." He pulled Matt out of the way and took her hand, "Honey I'm right here...what are her vitals?" He shouted to the EMTs.

One responded, "She's stable, carbon monoxide poisoning it looks like. After a few hours of oxygen treatment she should be fine." Then loaded her with Warren right by her side.

Matt had stepped back and watched Warren. Hoyt came running over, "Warren, we have a crime scene here! Warren!" The doors shut and the ambulance took off leaving Hoyt there at a loss for words.

Matt patted him on the back and said, "Come on, I'll give you my statement."

Hoyt nodded and the two walked back to the pool area, "We were in here when I figured out something was wrong. There's no telling how long the house was filling up with carbon monoxide. One of your tech guys found this." They walked to the outside where the vent had been sabotaged. Matt explained, "They said it was tampered with and caused the build up. It doesn't appear Blake ever left his house this morning, so he got the worst of it. He collapsed right after Chris but his skin was pink or something so they rushed him in ahead of Chris. Her vitals are stable and she should be just fine."

Matt then rubbed his face. Hoyt asked him, "You just fine? You're looking a little pale yourself."

Matt shook his head, "No, I'm just fine. They checked me out too. C.J. would throw a fit if I didn't let them do that and I'm already in the dog house."

Hoyt smiled for a second and asked, "Do I want to know?"

Matt shrugged, "I just got into a disagreement with an old boyfriend of hers while I was back in Texas that's all."

They started to walk into the house, "A disagreement huh? Like the kind you used to get into at that old bar you told me about?" Matt smiled back a little sarcastically, then Hoyt said, "I probably don't want to know as a member of law enforcement."

Matt then said with a little more of a serious tone, "It may have gotten me in a little trouble but it was worth it. The ex boyfriend hit her when they broke up and I felt the need to address that, even if it was a little late in coming."

Hoyt nodded in agreement, "Sometimes I wonder exactly who were are protecting sometimes..." Then he told Matt, "You call C.J. and tell her about this yet?"

Matt shook his head, "No, I figured I'd just go pick her up and take her to the hospital. I know she'll want to see for herself, like I do that Chris is really alright."

Hoyt then put his hand up, "You do know that whenever your name comes through that little radio of mine, our information officer gets to dialing the next of kin don't you?"

Matt then looked worried and walked quickly over to Blake's phone and called the beach house. He got no answer. Hoyt told him to head on to the hospital and he'd meet up with him there to check on Chris and gather his wayward detective.


	13. Chapter 13

13

C.J. wasn't exactly a stranger to the emergency room waiting area. She paced all over the floor after the information desk told her that two people, a male and female were being brought in from Joshua Blake's house.

They wheeled in the male and C.J. honestly couldn't tell if it was Matt or not. She assumed it was and ran over but the security guard grabbed her, holding her back. She cried out, "Matt! I'm here...I'm not leaving, I love you...Matt!" They wheeled him past her and were shouting out orders among themselves for the drugs needed to keep his heart pumping, the defibrillator, and other equipment as they began hooking everything up.

A nurse who left the room then grabbed some little tubes and told another nurse who was helping out, not noticing C.J. there, "Better call downstairs, I don't think this one is gonna make it. Too much poison is already in the system." They gathered their things and ran back in.

C.J. started having trouble breathing herself. Tears started to form, "No, no, no..." He had to make it. Forcing her feet to move she got back to the waiting area reminding herself how much he had survived already. This was just a little carbon monoxide poisoning or something. He's been shot, stabbed, hit by cars, no, he would surely survive this too. It was just never easy, the waiting.

As she took another breath, willing her heart to slow down the second ambulance arrived. Chris lay still unconscious with an oxygen mask over her face and Warren whispering to her. C.J. tried to go over to her too, but that same guard kept her away. The ones attending to her didn't seem nearly as panicked so at least there was some good news.

She had called Roy but only got his machine. Apparently he was out with Lucy again. Taking another deep breath she walked around more and more thinking about all the different times she had done this in the years they had been together. 'Everything will be just fine' she kept telling herself over and over.

After about 30 minutes, Warren came out and told her, "They're moving Chris upstairs and keeping her overnight, just thought you should know."

C.J. nodded and took another deep breath, "Good, that's good. At least she's going to be ok."

Warren then said, "She shouldn't have been there, but we can talk about that later. I'm not leaving her." He then turned and went back.

C.J. just sat down again, willing her heart to stop racing. Her body was tense in a fight or flight type way. All she could think of was whether or not Matt would make it this time.

She didn't see them take Blake up to intensive care or the new arrival who came in through another entrance who ended up in the same room Blake had just left. This was a car accident victim who only had seconds to live. All C.J. heard was a Code Blue to the room she thought Matt was in. She knew what that meant and ran in that direction.

The guard stopped her again, but she pushed him back. He had her hands behind her as they struggled for a couple of minutes before the doctor came out slowly and said, "I'm calling it, better inform the family. There was just too much damage."

C.J. screamed out, "Nooooo!" Another guard came over to hold her back too as she screamed through the tears, "No, you have to keep, you can't stop, you can't let him die."

She started fighting the guards when Matt ran in and grabbed her from behind. He spoke directly in her ear, "C.J., its ok..."

C.J. spun around and tried to get away but the guards grabbed her again, "Matt..." she cried through the tears, "I thought..."

Matt told the guards, "Let go of my wife, now." His hands were on her face.

The first guard said, "She's causing a disturbance."

Matt then told them, "Then let her go and I can take her home. She won't be causing a disturbance then now will she. If you don't, you'll have a much bigger disturbance on your hands." The look he shot the two made them release C.J.

She moved quickly into his embrace as he held her tightly. Her tears dampening his shirt, she told him, "I thought that was you. When they called they said you and a woman had called in that a man and woman were hurt and then I saw Chris come in after you or who I thought was you..."

Matt explained into the top her head, still refusing to let her go, "That was Joshua Blake, honey, it wasn't me. I'm just fine." He then pulled back to see the tears continuing to fall and told her, "I'm right here."

She nodded her head and said trying to calm down, "Hold me..." He took her back in his arms again, holding her even tighter. She started to calm down, her body coming down from the heightened state of worry she had been in for the last hour. She sunk into his chest. All she could say then was, "I'm so glad...I'm so glad you're alright."

Matt pulled back and wrapped his arm around her waist, leading her over to the couches, "Here, sit down and I'll go check to see how Chris is."

She told him, "Warren came out a little while ago and told me they were keeping her here overnight."

He nodded and then asked, "I'm sure she's in good hands then. We'll go see her for just a little while and then go home ok? I'll drive. I can have your car picked up, come on."

She agreed and he kept his hand around her waist still as they got to the information desk to get her room number and then the elevator.

His hand rubbed her back and slipped easily around her waist. They barely spoke in the elevator or walking down the hallway to her hospital room. They didn't really need to talk but communicated through touch.

When they got to her room they could hear Warren telling her, "He's fine, I swear. Honey you just need to lay back and rest here. Let the medicine do what its supposed to do, ok. I distinctly remember you telling me that over and over again, now you need to do the same."

They came in as Chris told him back, "Jacob I'll rest much better when I see that for myself. Houston had to have been affected too..." Then she saw him and C.J. walk in.

Matt told her, "Warren is right, Chris. Just relax there in bed and take it easy. I'm fine." He walked over with C.J. and both gave her a hug.

Warren then told him, "Can I speak with you outside?" They nodded to one another as C.J. sat down on the bed beside Chris.

When they got outside Warren expressed his displeasure with what happened to Chris. "Why? Exactly why did you feel the need to take her out with you to conduct an interview with a murder suspect?"

Matt never liked being griped at and Warren wasn't exactly yelling, but still making it clear he wasn't happy. However, Matt knew the source of his anger and it actually made him feel a little better about the whole situation. Chris had dated so many losers that would never have said anything to Matt like this. This was actually a little refreshing to him. So he replied, "Warren I really didn't think there was any danger in taking her with me. You know as well as I do how much she likes that band. She asked to go. I would never do anything to put Chris in danger, she's been my friend for years and I care a great deal about what happens to her."

Warren then relented a little as he ran his hand through his own hair, "I know she likes that stupid band, but with the death threats they've been getting you shouldn't have taken her with you."

Matt then told him, "Yeah, Blake mentioned something about threats. I didn't know about them until I got there. He showed me the note. I'm guessing now that whoever sent it was serious."

Warren then stopped suddenly and looked at him, "You're right. I thought it was some kind of stunt, maybe even by the band to get more publicity but I guess I was wrong. Hoyt will probably want to..." Suddenly it hit Warren that he had just left a crime scene to go in the ambulance with Chris and knew Hoyt was probably going to be angry.

Matt read the expression on his face and anticipated his thoughts saying, "Yes Hoyt will probably want to talk to you, and yell at you, but don't worry. He yells at me all the time. Just take a couple of deep breaths and count to ten. You'll be fine." He patted Warren on the back as Hoyt then approached.

Before Warren could even start his defense Hoyt said, putting up his hand, "I don't want to hear it right now, detective. I am assuming you are here to get a statement from the victim. That's the only thing I can justify to my superiors right now, understand?"

Warren nodded and said, "I'll go get that statement now." Hoyt nodded and he went back in.

Chris and C.J. had been talking since Matt and Warren stepped out. Chris told her, "I'm so glad Houston's ok. I was worried when I woke up in here."

C.J. rubbed her arms and said, "Yes, I am too." She shook her head, "I thought for a second he wasn't. That's the one part of the job I hate, the waiting."

Chris nodded, "I remember when Warren got hurt protecting me. I never want to go through that again. I don't what I'd do if I lost him."

C.J. smiled and then said, "You really do love him. I can tell. Have you thought any more about how you want to tell him?"

Chris smiled then and chuckled for a second, "Actually I had this whole thing planned for tonight, but it looks like I'll have to change my plans."

C.J. told her, "Well tomorrow night is just as good as tonight."

Chris smiled, "I know, I just don't want to wait anymore, its killing me. I really do think I want to move forward with him. I know what that means though...having to get used to him putting himself in danger all the time." She shook her head for a second, "I just hope I don't have too many trips to the emergency room in my future."

Warren then walked in and only caught the last sentence, not realizing it was about him. So he said, "I hope you don't either. That was pretty nerve wracking if you ask me."

Chris then said sitting up, "Well how do you think I felt when you got shot. Trust me, I don't want to sit in that waiting room any more than you do."

Warren told her, "Yeah, but with me its different. You don't have anything to worry about. I can take care of myself."

Chris cut him off, "Oh and I can't?" She wasn't exactly angry, just wanting to lay down so rules here.

Warren then said as C.J. started to get up and move out quietly with a little smile on her face, "I didn't say that, I'm just saying that hearing that call come in about you worried me. Listen, I do this for a living, I know how to handle dangerous situations."

Chris was saying as C.J. got to the door, "I know you do, but that doesn't stop me from worrying..."

Matt and Hoyt had been talking and all C.J. caught was, "Well, I guess my questions for Blake will have to wait until he's out of intensive care." As C.J. came out she put her arm around his waist, which immediately got his attention and his arm went around hers.

Hoyt told them both, "Well, I'm calling it a day. Its late and Anne is already furious that I've cancelled dinner plans with her twice already this week. I'm assuming Warren is getting a statement from Chris?"

C.J. nodded and said, "I can assure you they are definitely talking about what happened today."

Hoyt rubbed his face and then said, "Well, I have your statement Houston. I'll see you two tomorrow. Take care." Then he left.

Matt kissed C.J.'s forehead again and said, "Let's go home, honey." She nodded and the two went out to his car. She told him she could probably drive herself, but he insisted he drive them both.

They got to the beach house and C.J. noticed Greg and Brad, their security men in the parking spaces they usually occupy when watching their place. She asked Matt, "Why are Greg and Brad watching the house?"

Matt took a deep breath, he had hoped to avoid telling her about seeing the car watching it. "Honey, I didn't want to worry you, but I think I may have seen someone keeping tabs on us. They're just out there to keep a look out."

They parked and both got out, her slipping her hand in his as they walked on the sidewalk around to the door of the beach house. As soon as they both got in the door, she turned around, both arms around his waist and pulled his lips toward hers.

Her arms stayed around his waist as she continued to kiss him walking backwards, trying to lead the two of them up to the bedroom. His arms had gone around to her back and then moved to her face, suddenly moving to her back at her shoulders so she could balance as she took that first step on the stairwell.

He stopped the two of them, pulled back and then picked her up. Before she could say anything his mouth was claiming hers again as he cautiously made his way with her up the stairs. Once they got in their room he laid her on the bed and then unfastened her pants sliding them off with her panties.

She sat up, "Matt, let me..." He knew she wanted to do to him what he was about to do to her, but he just smiled and shook his head.

He told her, "Just take your shirt off and relax." The look in his eye of desire when he said that coupled with the love she could feel emanating from him made her do just that. She laid there, completely naked in front of him while he still remained fully clothed.

He smiled again and leaned over her, kissing her on the lips. Then he moved his lips down to her chest which started moving up and down more rapidly now. Her eyes, rolling in the back of her head as he settled for a while on her breasts. Then his hands moved lower, preparing her for when his tongue would replace them. She arched again and moaned as she could barely stand it anymore. She was almost begging him, "Matt...I need you, please...I need..."

At that point he smiled and ran his hand over her there one more time before standing up, undressing slowly in front of her and settled back down on top of her. He whispered in her ear, "Just relax and feel that, feel me inside you. I love you, C.J., I can't get enough of you." He started to move slowly at first and then would change the tempo and the position. Their kissing just intensified with each stroke it seemed.

She had come so close to losing him she thought, that she just didn't want this to end, ever. Neither of them did. Finally she really could take no more and seeing that sent him into a climax stronger than any he had felt in a while. He continued kissing her though for almost a whole hour afterward before the two cuddled in each others arms going to sleep.

Thinking she had lost Matt had shaken her to the core and he felt that in their lovemaking. He only hoped she had felt how deeply he loved her in his.


	14. Chapter 14

14

Matt had drifted off to sleep not long after C.J., but while she didn't necessarily dream, he did. Only it was more like a nightmare. It started out more or less with a memory. C.J. stood before him dressed in a T shirt and jeans facing away from him in a graveyard. He had looked around for a second before he saw a younger version of himself walking up toward her. It was like he was watching a home movie of the two of them from years ago.

He heard his younger self say, "You ok?"

She turned to face him and he could see tears streaking down her face, "I don't know. I don't remember them that well but..." His younger self then took her in his arms.

She continued to shake as he told her, "I'm right here, don't hold anything back. You know you can mourn however you need to with me. I'm your best friend and I'm not going anywhere."

C.J. told him, "I know, I just..." Then she started to black out as his younger self almost panicked.

"C.J., C.J. what's wrong?" He had picked her up and taken her back to the car about to drive her to a hospital.

At that point the dream changed. Something caught his attention away from the scene of him holding C.J., unconscious in his arms. Back to the grave site itself he saw an older man and woman looking on with him. The male said, "I'm glad she found him. I hope he can help her with this. It will be the hardest fight of her life."

The woman then said, "He will. He loves her, its so easy to see that. But she has to see it again to loose that hold it has on her. I just hope his help and love will be enough. They don't know...neither of them do..." At that point the two disappeared.

The next image was of him in a hospital waiting room. He was pacing and he looked more like he did now. His hands ran through his hair as he wore out the carpet. A surgeon walked in and pulled down his mask, a frown on his face as he said, "We did the best we could..."

At that point Matt woke up with a start, sitting up. Sweat had dampened the sheets around him and he rubbed his face. Looking at C.J., he was glad she had moved just a little in the night and had rolled over so he didn't wake her. Their alarm clock read _4:43_ so he decided he might as well get up.

He showered in the other bathroom as not to wake his wife and then dressed. It was still only 5am so he took the book he bought on pregnancy and massage and sat down with it after making coffee. The introduction took long enough to get through, it had details on all kinds of body oils and massage oils one could buy. It actually recommended lavender essential oil and sweet almond oil mixed together for some of the early massages. Then there were all the diagrams and techniques listed. He thought a few of them could use a little modifying and a smile crept across his face as he thought about adapting them to C.J.'s body.

He heard her upstairs and quickly put the book away. Matt wanted to surprise her with the massage. C.J. came down in her blue robe, messed up hair and her eyes barely open. He smiled up at her and said quietly as she started past the couch on that second level, "You looking for the coffee?"

C.J. stopped, rubbed her face, opened her eyes and smiled at him as she went to sit beside him, "Yes, as a matter of fact I am. However did you know?"

His arm had gone immediately around her shoulder as she sat down. He pulled her to him and said, "Because I know my wife very well." He kissed her head and told her, "I got it started when I got up, it should be nice and piping hot for you downstairs. You want me to go get you a cup while you get ready to go in?"

She looked up at him with a sleepy smiled on her face and nodded. He brushed back the hair from her face and kissed her forehead again. Then he got up, helped her up and went to go get that coffee for her.

They would have a long day, he thought. He figured C.J. would want to stop at the hospital first to see Chris, then call Hoyt to check on Blake's status and if they had uncovered anything with the death threats. Then they would probably go together to see this Randy Larson to check on his alibi. He knew how rattled she was after what happened yesterday and would want to stay close to him for the rest of the day. After talking to Larson, he then needed to check on that last suspect, to him, the prime suspect, the husband.

They got to the hospital fast enough. Chris was sitting in bed practically begging the doctor to let her go home. He relented and told her she could leave after another 12 hours of oxygen therapy and testing. He warned her sternly that just because she felt fine now, didn't mean her body was healed.

Matt and C.J. stayed with her just a little while until Warren showed up again. He came bearing her favorites from a little bakery close to her house. He walked in with a box and she almost squealed in delight.

Matt made a sarcastic comment, "I thought the doctor's orders involved her eating only what she got on that hospital tray?"

C.J. slapped his arm lightly and then said as she chuckled, "Yes, and you do that so well when you are in here."

Chris then pointed a finger at Matt, "You say one word to those nurses and I'll make sure you pay for it. You won't know how, but you will. Never tick off your secretary!"

They all laughed then Matt told her as he went back over to her to kiss her forehead and took her hand, "I wouldn't dream of it. Now you just sit back and do everything the doctor tells you to and C.J. and I will be back to see you later."

C.J. walked over and gave her a hug as Matt put his hand on the small of her back and then the two walked out. Warren followed them out to the door and then told them, "I'm technically here to check on Joshua Blake. He's still unconscious and in intensive care. We didn't get any prints or anything off his house or that vent."

Matt then said, "Meaning the police are no closer to finding out who tried to kill him or if its connected to Macy Raven's death."

Warren nodded and then said, "Yeah, well, I'm still not convinced the two are connected. Macy's death looks like it could have been an accident, his wouldn't have. Changing m.o.s like that doesn't sit well with me. I mean, yeah, she was a famous singer, but even famous singers have accidents from time to time. I was actually thinking, despite the fact that most of her fans would never accept it, that's exactly what happened. I just can't prove it yet."

Matt then said, "Ok, but then why would someone make you think it was homicide by threatening and then attempting to take Blake's life?"

Warren told him, "I don't know. Other than trying to make a name for yourself, make it into the history books as the famous killer of Macy Raven and Joshua Blake."

C.J. then said, "So if she did just fall and it was an accident at least Dove would have some peace when she grows up maybe. Knowing that her mother's death wasn't at the hands of someone else." Warren nodded and conceded that but Matt caught something in C.J.'s eyes, something dark as she seemed to stare into space.

He rubbed her back and that seemed to break the trance she was in. They told Warren they'd see him later and went back to his car. As they drove to Larson's Matt asked C.J., "You sure you feel up to this?"

She seemed lost in thought again but looked back at him and said with a smile, "Of course I am. Don't think you're leaving me back at the office today, not after yesterday."

He asked her, "C.J...were you thinking of your own mother back there?" Matt really didn't want to upset her, but being the investigator he is knew this was the time to ask.

She blinked for a second before answering, "No...yes...I don't know." She rubbed her forehead, "I just know what its like to lose your mother at a young age." She shook her head, "You know I think about it a lot. How good a mother will I be if I never really had one myself?" That last question was uttered much softer.

Matt squeezed her hand and told her, "You are going to be the best mother, C.J. I know it. It will come to you and I will be right there with you as we raise our child together."

C.J. looked back in his eyes as they turned in to the driveway and parked the car, "I just hope I can be one at all. I'm worried, Matt."

Matt kissed her hand and then kissed her before saying, "I know you are, but I don't think either of us needs to be yet." Then he got a smile on his face as he told her, "As a matter of fact, I have been reading on ways to make what we do more...productive, if you will."

C.J. smiled and then asked, "And exactly what have you been reading?"

He told her, "Its a surprise, just trust me. You know you're going to like it." Then they got out of the car and she took his hand as they got to the front door, where his hand then went around her back.

Randy Larson answered the door quickly enough. He looked half out of it and was wearing a robe that was mostly closed, but not all the way. First thing he did was smile at C.J. and say as he held out his hand to her, "Well now, isn't this a most awesome surprise. I knew you couldn't resist..."

Before he could say anything else, Matt stepped between them and took Randy's hand shaking it really hard, "Let me introduce myself since you already know _my wife_. I'm Matt Houston and we were just wondering if you had a moment to talk to us about Macy Raven."

C.J. smiled and tried not to laugh for a second as Larson appeared a little disappointed but showed both of them in. He asked, "What do you want to know?"

Matt asked, "Well, according to a statement you gave to police, you were at home sleeping when Macy fell down the stairs at her place."

Larson then said, "Yeah, and..."

Matt then said, "Well, its just that you sleeping here alone doesn't exactly give you the world's perfect alibi."

Larson then said, becoming more agitated, "That doesn't mean I killed her though. What we had was special, man. She could rock my world anytime she wanted, no strings attached, it was an awesome set up we had."

Matt then said as he looked around, noticing the expensive cigarettes on the table, "Are you sure you didn't want more? See her pass you over for almost any other guy to marry. You sure that didn't bother you?"

Larson then said, "No, it didn't bother me. I'm in one of the world's most popular rock bands. I can have any woman I want, any time I want. I don't need some ball and chain telling me what I can and can't do. I love the life I'm living. Being tied down to Macy might have been different, but it still would have been tied down." Then he looked at C.J. and said, "Only one kind of tying down I like to do."

As he licked his lips, Matt decided the conversation needed to end quickly. He still had one last question, "I see you have expensive tastes here." He picked up and dropped the pack back on the table.

Larson looked at them and said, "Yeah I smoke, its not a crime." Turning back to C.J. he said, "Although some of the other things I do should be a crime."

C.J. rolled her eyes and Matt stepped again between Larson, only half believing the man was still hitting on C.J. right in front of him. He told her, "Ok, I think we have everything we need here."

She told him, "Yes I think we do."

They started to walk out when Larson said, "Whenever you want, babe you know where to find me."

They got back to the car and C.J. looked at Matt and just shook her head. He asked, "What?"

She smiled and told him, "I'm just proud of you that's all. I half expected you to lay into him, but you held your cool. You surprised me."

He pulled out of the drive and said, "I have nothing to worry about I know and no reason to let that scum get me in any more trouble."

They then drove over to Calindis to finally interview who Matt thought was the prime suspect in this whole mess.

They reached the mansion both Calindis and Raven had lived in together, the scene of the crime essentially. Hoyt had told Matt that Calindis was living in a guest house to the back for the time being until the police were finished with the investigation. It wasn't too hard to find him there. He was outside smoking while Dove played on the swing set with the nanny.

Matt pulled C.J. back by the arm for a second and asked her, "We could divide and conquer. You feel up to talking to the nanny about what was really going on inside the mansion?"

C.J. looked at him confused and then said, "Of course I do, Matt. I'm just fine." She squeezed his hand and then left to walk over to Dove and the nanny while Matt talked to Calindis.

Matt said as he approached, "Well, Mr. Calindis, I was wondering if I might have a word with you."

Calindis was putting out his cigarette but turned to him and said, "What do you want? Do you have the test results back yet?"

Matt told him as he refused to shake Matt's hand, "No I don't, not yet. I just wanted to talk to you about that drive you had the day Macy fell down the stairs."

Calindis gave him a dirty look and then walked back inside to the kitchen. "I bought myself a new car. Macy wasn't happy with it. We argued. She went upstairs to get a massage and I left to cool off. Anything else?"

Matt then looked at him and said, "You argued? I don't recall that in your statement to the police."

Calindis then stopped drinking his juice and said, "I didn't think it was important. I wasn't here when she fell. It wasn't even that big a deal. She used to buy me things like that all the time."

Matt then asked, "Used to? You mean she stopped doing it, recently perhaps?"

Calindis slammed his glass down and said, "No, not that recent. Look, I don't have to talk to you but for your information, we were never happier. Every couple fights, and I can assure you, no husband wants to come home and find his wife laying on the floor dead. I'm sure you wouldn't, now would you, Mr. Houston."

That last statement sounded like a threat to Matt so he got into Calindis' face when he said, "No I wouldn't because, you see, if anything ever did happen to my wife, I would hunt down whoever hurt her and make them pay dearly for it, understand?"

The look Matt gave him made Calindis back down. He then said, "Look, I'm just saying no husband wants to live through what I've just gone through, alright? Now if you will excuse me, Dove is only over here for a little while. Sam brought her over to get some things and then run an errand. Left that little girl here with her nanny. You really think he cares about Dove? She barely even knows who he is. If I were you, I'd ask that nanny a few questions. Sam didn't seem to have any idea where she or Dove where when Macy died." Calindis then showed Matt to the door.

C.J. had approached the nanny and Dove as soon as Matt had left her. Dove saw her, smiled and ran up to her, "Hi, this is C., uh,..."

C.J. smiled and finished for her, "Its C.J..." She then held her hand out to the nanny, "Hi there. I met Dove when we had the paternity test done at the hospital. She let me take her to the cafeteria to get some juice."

Dove smiled and ran back to get back on the swing and called out, "Watch me, C.J.!"

The nanny then told C.J., "Hi, my name is Sandy, Sandy Kennedy. I'm Dove's nanny. She is such a sweet little girl." Then she shook her head, "She deserves so much better than this, you know."

C.J. then said, "I think I know that quite well. How has she been doing through all this?"

Sandy told her after a sigh, "Well, she doesn't quite understand that she won't be seeing Macy anymore. She only rarely saw her anyway. In a lot of ways, I've been more of a mother to her than she was. Sam barely keeps up with anything she does. I feed her, potty trained her, am teaching her how to read and well..."

C.J. smiled and said, "You're being a mother to her."

Sandy nodded and then said, "You know, I was going to college to get a degree, in what I don't know. I hadn't figured that out yet. I loved Macy's music and a music professor I took classes from knew Joshua and got me this job. I thought it would be a dream job because, well, who wouldn't want to work for Macy Raven, you know? But now I know that's not really why it became my dream job. It's that little girl. The most beautiful little girl in the world. She's not even mine, but the first time I saw her, I just fell in love. Joshua seemed to feel the same way about her and for a while I thought...well..."

C.J. then prodded, "You thought what?"

Sandy answered, "I thought Dove would have a stable home life with a mother and a father and a nanny to help out from time to time."

C.J. then speculated, "But that's not what happened. You took on that role of mother for her."

Sandy smiled, "Yep, and its been more of a dream job than I had ever anticipated."

C.J. smiled and then asked, "Sandy, I don't mean to pry or make you feel uncomfortable, but...well...were you aware of any problems Macy was having with any of the men in her life?"

Sandy looked back at Dove and then said, "Well, Sam was always giving her problems. Randy...I rarely ever saw Randy unless he was leaving her bedroom. I always slept with Dove in her room over here so I could shield her from that. When she and Joshua split they had a big blow out, but he comes around from time to time to check on Dove. Neither she nor Sam knew anything about that. He tried to make sure Dove didn't even see him. He just wanted to make sure she was ok and was developing the way she should. He still loves her I know."

C.J. then asked, "What about Darrin, her husband. Were they having problems?"

Sandy then got a more sober look on her face, "Yeah they were. She was filing for divorce. She came in about two weeks ago while I was getting Dove breakfast and Dove asked about him. He had told her he was getting her ice cream or something. Macy told her that he wasn't going to be around much longer. Then as she stormed off back to the bedroom I heard her say something about wishing she could find someone who didn't just want her for her money."

Dove started to cry and Sandy ran over to her, bending down to her eye level she asked Dove, "Are you getting frustrated? You want to swing higher don't you?"

Little Dove nodded and said, "I can't do it...why can't I do it?"

Sandy rubbed her back and told her, "Take a deep breath..." Dove did that. "Now, just kick your legs out when you go up and swing them back as you go back down, remember? Don't get frustrated. Its about practice, right? We have to practice at something to get good at it, remember?" Dove nodded again.

C.J. smiled and saw Matt coming out of the house. She told Sandy as she gave her, her card, "Thank you so much for talking to me. Listen if you think of anything else you can tell me, please call. Anytime."

Sandy took it and said as she stood up to let Dove practice swinging, "You know I was with Dove at the dentist when Macy fell. I'm sure Sam didn't tell police that, but here..." She pulled out a card from her pocket, "Here is our appointment card. They never did things like that for her, so I would just take her myself."

C.J. took it, thanked her and then headed to the car with Matt. Once they got on the road Matt asked, "Did you learn anything from the nanny?"

C.J. nodded, "Yes I did. It seems Macy had planned to file for divorce. Calindis tell you that?"

Matt shook his head, "Nope, he told me the opposite, said they were never happier. Told me to look at the nanny."

C.J. then pulled out the card Sandy had given her, "Well, her name is Sandy Kennedy and she gave me this..." She showed him the card, "Claims she was at the dentist with Dove when Macy died. It should be easy enough to check out when we get back to the office."

Matt nodded and then said, "You seem to believe her already."

C.J. nodded, "Yes I do. Matt, she seems to be the only one in this whole mess that is looking out for Dove's best interests."

Matt then said, "Alright, let's go check it out."


	15. Chapter 15

15

After running everything through Baby and calling the dentist office, they discovered that the only one with a solid alibi was the nanny and Dove. The nurse even chuckled when she explained how Sandy got Dove to sit still during the routine tooth cleaning.

After going over everything and still not having any solid proof of anything, Matt and Roy decided to head over to the scene of the crime one more time, with Hoyt present and C.J. would stay behind, finishing up some paperwork before heading home herself.

She decided to drop by to see if Chris had been released and found out that not only had she been released but Warren had been the one to wheel her out to his car and drive her home.

With a little smile on her face, C.J. made her way back to her car. She didn't notice the car following her. Taking a deep breath, she thought about the case as she drove. That sweet little girl caught up in this whole mess. That train of thought led her to think about her own childhood. Floyd and Missy raising her like a ward of the state. There was one amazing bright spot to her life there, Matt. She smiled as she recalled meeting him at the creek that first day after she arrived. Then the way both he and his Daddy, Bill, had taken her in. She started to feel herself like she had a family too.

Maybe that was how Dove felt with all these people around her. She couldn't possibly grasp what exactly was going on around her, but had at least one strong person in her corner, Sandy. Then there was Joshua, who C.J. now really hoped was Dove's biological father. Of the men claiming her, it seemed he was the most sincere.

She got off the highway and turned down the winding road that led to the beach house completely unaware that she was being followed. After parking in her spot she took another deep breath as she noticed a couple with a young boy, about Dove's age walking along the boardwalk down toward the shops.

She got out of her car and that's when the man grabbed her. C.J. wasn't expecting anything like this. It came so out of the blue. It took a second for her to find her feet and recall her self defense moves. All she heard was a man's voice say, "Drop it or I'll drop you and that husband of yours."

The next thing she heard was Brad shouting, "Hey...Let her go...Hey!" He was running over and took off after the man who released C.J. and ran back to his car. Brad had caught up to it just as he tried to drive off and run Brad down. He jumped out of the path of the oncoming car and then got up to check on C.J. who was coming to him. "You ok?" he asked.

She nodded her head and said, "Thanks to you."

He smiled and said, "That's what I'm paid for. He followed you in. Did you notice him tailing you?" He asked in a very professional manner.

C.J. was surprised, "No, I didn't. I can't believe I missed that."

Brad then told her with a little good humored sarcasm, "Well, then I guess my job is secure." She smiled for a second and then he told her, "Don't worry about anything. Either me or Greg will be out here keeping an eye on things. Just have the police meet me at the coffee stand on the boardwalk. I'll have Greg come over to keep watch while I give my statement to keep our location secure."

She nodded, thanked him and then headed inside. How could she have missed that? They were working a murder investigation for crying out loud. She knows better. She made the call and heated some water for herbal tea while she waited for the police.

Matt and Roy walked around the now vacant mansion at the stairwell, where Macy had lost her life. Hoyt rubbed his face, "Houston, what is it exactly you are looking for? Its getting late and I told Anne I'd take her out tonight to make up for screwing up Valentines Day."

Roy bit back a chuckle while Matt just walked up and down the stairs. "I don't know what I'm looking for Hoyt. If I did, I'd tell you." He got to the top and something on the banister caught his eye. It seemed shiny in only one place. "Hoyt...what is this?"

Hoyt looked annoyed but walked up the stairs to him, "What is what, Houston? I don't see anything."

Matt then pointed to the spot and pushed Hoyt's head down a little to see it at the same angle. "That, you see that? See how its shiny right there, in that spot?"

Hoyt squinted but then said, "Yeah, I see it. I don't know what it is though. Could just be where the maid polished it differently or something." He then ran his hand over it, "Its not slippery or anything."

Matt then said, "Not now, but I wonder if it was when Macy fell. Hoyt we've been thinking she didn't grab the railing, but what if she did. What if it was slick because it had just been cleaned or something. Then she couldn't have stopped herself from falling and no one would have pushed her."

Hoyt looked skeptical, "I don't know. We have an awful lot of motive and next to nothing for alibis. You really think this was an accident?"

Matt then said, "Maybe. I mean I know none of these guys have an alibi, but none of the security cameras your guys just processed have them coming in or out. There were no prints on her body, her back, nothing. I mean, maybe Warren is right...maybe she just had an accident."

They all rubbed her heads when an officer came in with a note for Hoyt. He got that look on his face as he turned to Matt who said, "What?"

Hoyt told him, "Call just came in that C.J. Parsons-Houston was just assaulted in front of her house on the boardwalk."

Matt didn't even wait for Roy, but ran out to his car and sped off. The only thing he might have heard as he ran was Hoyt yelling, "She's ok, Houston!"

Hoyt then offered Roy a ride over and he accepted saying, "I guess I have no choice now do I?" They both smiled to each other and got out to Hoyt's car to drive over.

Matt's mind was traveling much faster than his car which was pushing 90. They shouldn't have split up. They are in the middle of a murder investigation. What if it had nothing to do with that though? He pushed harder on the gas pedal. What if it had to do with her life before Texas? What if whoever she had witnessed killing someone as a child had tracked her down? That last thought practically sent him over the edge.

Two cop cars with their lights flashing met him at their beach house. He got out and ran in, "C.J.!" He called out, "C.J.!"

She got up off the couch as he was practically leaping up the steps to get to her, "Matt, I'm fine." He grabbed her and pulled her into his arms holding her tightly for a couple of seconds.

He released her and pulled back with his hands on her shoulders to make sure, "You're alright? What happened? Did whoever attacked you, hurt you?"

C.J. shook her head and told him, "As I was just telling Officer Marks here, he grabbed me from behind, putting me in a choke hold and telling me to drop the case. That if I didn't he'd drop both of us." She looked down then, "It all happened so fast, I just didn't think fast enough to fight him off. Its a good thing Brad was there."

Matt nodded and then said, "So Brad saw what happened and came to help you." She nodded and he asked one more time, "You sure you're alright."

She told him, "Yes, I'm fine. Just shaken up. I just can't believe I was followed home and had no idea. I know better, I'm smarter than that, I..."

He put his finger over her mouth and told her, "Shhh, now. Everything's fine. That's why I had Brad outside in the first place. Are you sure they wanted us to drop the Macy Raven case?"

C.J. looked at him confused, "Well yes, I mean he told me to drop it or he'd drop us. What else could he be talking about?"

Matt then took her back in his arms and said, "I'm just glad you're alright that's all. Hearing that you were assaulted from Hoyt scared me, honey."

She told him into his chest, "I know." She finished giving her statement to the police and assured Roy and Hoyt she was just fine while Matt went to talk to Brad.

He asked, "Brad, C.J. told me you got that guy off of her. Were able to make out a face?"

Brad told him down at the coffee stand, "Not really. I noticed her drive in and a car park several spots away and watch her for a minute. She took a minute getting out of her car and that gave the guy enough time to sneak around. I got out and tried to head him off when she stepped out and he grabbed her. He didn't hold her long at all and then took off."

Matt asked, "You get a look at the plates or anything?"

Brad then told him, "No, but he did leave a little something behind. I noticed he flicked a cigarette into the lot just before going over to the back of her car." He then handed Matt an Italian cigarette and looked very confused as Matt seemed relieved. He asked, "That mean something?"

Matt told him, "It means someone connected to the case we're on wanted to send me a message. And I got it."

He got back in to the beach house and found his uncle making C.J. a cup of herbal jasmine tea as she sat on the couch. Hoyt was talking to one of the officers and walked up to him, directing him out to the patio. Hoyt started, "Well, I have more news. Seems Calindis does have an alibi. Officer Salazar over there swears he spotted him driving his sports car at a high rate of speed at about the time Macy would have fallen down the stairs."

Matt exhaled, "Then why didn't Calindis just tell us he got a ticket. That would have taken him right off the suspect list and made our job a lot easier."

Hoyt then told him gesturing, "Now hold on. Calindis doesn't know he was spotted. Salazar was just telling me he's given the guy so many tickets that keep getting thrown out by judges because of who he is, that he doesn't feel like wasting the ink and paper anymore. He just sees him on a consistent basis and tries to hit his light quick enough to at least make the guy slow down."

Matt then said, "Ok, so that takes him off the suspect list. Sandy Kennedy, the nanny also has an alibi..."

Hoyt nodded, "The dentist..." Matt looked confused so Hoyt continued, "C.J. told me."

Matt told him as he thought through everything, "So I think whoever attacked C.J. tonight, telling us to get off this case is worried we are getting too close. We know Blake has an alibi...yea...he's in the hospital right now in intensive care and almost found himself a victim. Then there's Calindis and the nanny, both with solid alibis. That really just leaves the drummer and the manager."

Hoyt agreed, "Well, if you're looking for motive that may have just gotten a lot harder to find." He rubbed the back of his neck.

Matt asked, "What do you mean?"

Hoyt then answered, "Well, according to Marks who just came in tonight, its all over the news. Macy's band and manager are both in a tough legal jam. Apparently Macy's label had a contract with both that does not allow them to work for anyone else for the next 8 years, for any reason. Her death just cost both of them their jobs."

Matt then said, "Well, I guess what we need to try to figure out is if either of those men would think a payoff now is worth it. I mean they had to know her sales would go up with news of her death. They know they are supposed to get an inheritance. I guess its just a matter of was it worth it to them."

Hoyt then said, "You know the one who stands to gain the most from all this is Perkins. He's always claimed to be Dove's father. She gets the bulk of it."

Matt nodded and then said, "Maybe we need to look more closely at him." Hoyt agreed and then rounded up all the officers and left. Roy kissed C.J. on the cheek, telling her he was glad she was safe and left himself.

C.J. then sighed as she sipped the last of the tea and Matt walked Roy out. He joined her back on the couch, "You sure you're alright?"

C.J. smiled, "Yes, I am sure. I just wish I could have responded faster. I don't know why I didn't." She took another deep breath and then sat her tea cup down.

Matt told her as he rubbed her back, "Maybe we need to start the self defense workout again..."

She shot him a look and said, "No thanks, I'm sure this was a one time slip up."

Matt then looked at her, much more serious, "It only takes one time, C.J. One minute to have someone incapacitate you." He shook his head, "No, I think maybe we need to workout a little more, but I promise..." He seemed to soften, "I won't be as rigorous as last time. Deal?"

She agreed and then told him, "I'm wore out, let's go to bed." He got a smile on his face and she grimaced a little before saying, "And I mean to sleep. I really am tired."

Matt got a very mischievous look on his face as a smile crept across it. He told her softly, running his hand through her hair, "What if you let me do something very special for you to help you relax. Trust me, you will most definitely enjoy yourself." The look on his face warmed her insides. She didn't know what he had planned that he seemed so sure would get her pregnant right away, but the way he was touching her right then, not exactly sexual, but sensual made her really want to find out. His gaze was almost intoxicating as she nodded to him. He took her hand and led her to the bedroom.


	16. Chapter 16

16

Once in the bedroom, Matt told C.J. to go take a quick shower while he prepared things for her. In some ways that exhaustion she had felt earlier was now replaced with a tense anticipation. While she did that, Matt got out the book and looked over the diagrams again and pulled out the lavender essential oil mix. He then ran downstairs where he turned on the dryer with their towels for a minute and then took three out and ran them upstairs with him, still very warm.

C.J. got out and toweled off as Matt laid two of the towels on the bed, after pulling back the sheets. He then lit about 8 candles and turned on their alarm clock to some soothing music.

She came out of the bathroom with a towel wrapped tightly around her figure and walked over to him amazed at how he had set a whole atmosphere for her. He stood at the bed with a towel folded neatly on top of the two laid out. His hands went to her face as he lovingly looked in her eyes. He rubbed her cheeks, the moment incredibly intense even as they said nothing.

He then gently lowered his lips to hers and softly kissed her before saying, "I love you, C.J. I want this to be one of the most memorable of our nights together." She smiled at him speechless and breathing with anticipation.

He took his hand and gently pulled the towel away from her body. "You are so beautiful," he told her. His hands gently guided her to the bed and told her to lay stomach down. She complied as he then shook open the towel he had folded and then laid it over her from about the middle of her back to the middle of her thighs.

He rubbed a little oil on his hands and began rubbing her feet. She smiled and said softly, "I can't believe you're giving me a massage."

He told her, "This won't be just any massage. Shhh, just relax and enjoy it." He worked on her feet first. It amazed him as he almost could see the tension leaving her body. Then he worked his way up to her thighs. After getting right inside her knees, he then moved to her hands, one at a time. He smiled as he realized how quickly she was becoming putty in his hands.

After working his way up her arms, he kneaded her shoulders at her neck and then her back. Slowly working his way down, he heard her moan in appreciation. He got to the small of her back, the place the book said to concentrate on for a couple of minutes longer than other areas and heard her moan again.

He then went back to the inside of her knees and began working his way up, one at a time. He seemed to sense where she wanted him to go next, but it wasn't time yet. He decided to add some of his own moves here, now. He moved up and lightly teased that area he knew she was aching to have touched. Then he massaged thoroughly that fleshy part of her backside, that he loved.

After brushing that area in between lightly one more time, he whispered, "Roll over, beautiful. Let me get the front now." She moved slowly did just that and now he could see her facial expressions. This would make it harder for him as he hadn't anticipated seeing the look on her face. It was hard enough concentrating with the way her body was responding to his touch as it was, the moving, the wetness, all of it.

He started this time with her temples, slowly rubbing into them, then letting his hands wrap around her face being ever so gentle. He rubbed lightly the space between her eyes above her nose and then very lightly ran his fingers across her neck, eliciting sensations in both of them. Then her shoulders and arms, each time slightly brushing against her breasts which it seemed she tried to move ever so slightly so they were more in his direct line of movement. He smiled at that.

He then skipped her breasts, which for him was incredibly hard to do and then began lightly moving over her abdomen. He leaned down before drizzling oil on her and kissed her belly. Then both hands moved all around her moving tantalizingly close to that hair that hid her most private of places and then back right under each breast.

Matt smiled again as she was becoming more and more impatient, but this would all be worth it. He moved down to her feet again and started working his way up, again taking his time. Almost an hour had past already and he could tell she had probably never really been as relaxed as she was at this moment.

Once he got most of the way up her thighs, he softly brushed one hand, lazily up, through her curly hair, over her abdomen and to her breast. He avoided the nipples at first and just moved both hands over her. Over and under each breast for several minutes as her breathing got heavier and heavier. Then he drizzled the oil right on each nipple and her back arched slightly. He then began rubbing the oil directly into her nipples as she moaned louder now.

He loved seeing her this way. Beneath his touch her arousal was obvious. After another few delicious moments, he moved lower and cupped her between her legs with his strong hand. He began massaging her there and her head began moving from side to side as she bit her lip trying so hard not to call out. She was getting so incredibly close with each movement of his hand.

He then opened her up fully down there and was rubbing each area individually, starting off gently and then increasing just the right amount of pressure to send her into the beginnings of an orgasm. He pulled back slightly and then started again, bringing her to the brink again before pulling back. Then, about 8 attempts later, she was wild with desire and Matt had never seen her as aroused as he had in this moment when he positioned himself over her. His clothing removed as he had taken one item off with each pause in this nice long road he had planned for her climax.

He positioned himself over her and gently eased his way into her. Now his body was hitting that spot inside of her that longed for his touch while one of his hands, somehow was reaching down hitting that one spot, that one oh so sweet spot he knew just how to manipulate. She couldn't contain it any longer.

He had to fight so hard to maintain control as he had worked his hands over every inch of her body and watch her face express the pleasure she got out of each movement. He knew he had her at the crux of an intense orgasm and the book had said that the orgasm itself would aid in her getting pregnant if he had already had his, seconds before. So he let loose just as she almost came off the bed into his arms as he held her. He had whispered just before, "Look at me, C.J., open your eyes."

The force of their climax shook both of them to the core and while he could feel her taking longer to come down from hers, the intensity of the sensation combined with their eye contact just sent this night into a whole league of its own.

He held her for another 20 minutes as he kissed her back down from that high which helped him ease down as well. Matt was to say the least experienced in sex, but this was something way more than sex or lovemaking. It defied words. They continued to whisper to each other nonetheless at how much they loved each other, how connected they felt just then and then just stared at each other in a loving silence.

C.J. felt as though she could barely move afterwards. Matt was out like a light about 30 minutes later while she laid in his warm and firm embrace amazed at what he had just done for her. The candles needed to be put out though and she was a little oily. So she carefully got up, blew out the candles and then slipped on her robe to get one little glass of wine to bring up to bed that she just knew would be the perfect end to the day.

She got to the stairs and started down them. Being so relax she started to stumble and then grabbed the railing. The oil still on her hands made them slip right off and she went head first down the rest of the way until she lay unconscious at the foot.

Matt thought he heard something, but wasn't sure. It seemed to wake him up. He felt light, too light. Opening his eyes to roll over to cuddle C.J. some more, as he figured she had rolled over, he noticed her side of the bed was empty. He sat up and then turned on the lamp.

Something felt wrong. "C.J." he said hoping to hear her tell him she was just downstairs. He got no response. So he climbed out of bed, grabbed his robe and then went looking for her. She wasn't in the bathroom, or that spare room and the rest of the house seemed dark. The hairs on the back of his neck began to prickle as he reached quickly for the light on that second floor.

He stomach dropped as he saw her lying at the base of the stairs, "C.J.!" he called out. Matt began down the stairs himself when he grabbed the railing and almost lost it himself, as his hands were even more oily. That shook him for only a second until he got to her.

He knelt down beside her as she seemed to be stirring. Matt looked over her body to assess any injuries she might have as she softly said, "Matt?"

Matt told her, "Just lay still, I want to make sure you haven't broken anything." He kept looking.

She started to sit up despite his protest, "I'm fine I think. Just...ouch..." She moved her shoulder slowly with her other hand on her elbow.

Matt ran his hand over it and asked, "How bad does it hurt?"

C.J. told him, "Not that bad, just sore. I was just going to get a glass of wine..." She started to stand up, "Everything was just so perfect..."

He kept an arm around her and then smiled as he brushed the stray hairs from her face. She still had that look of sated passion on her face. He kissed her lightly and then told her, "Are you sure you're fine?" She nodded so he told her, "Come on, let's get back to bed. I can get you that glass if you still want it."

She shook her head and told him, "No, I think I just want to lay in your arms." He nodded with a smile. When they got to the top she stopped for a second and said, "You know, I tried to grab the railing but my hand slipped off it."

She rubbed her hand for a second. Matt then looked at his and said, "Mine did the same thing." They looked at each other for a second before he kissed her again and they went to bed to sleep.

The next morning, C.J. felt Matt's arm more firmly around her waist, like he was squeezing her. Her hair was then lightly brushed off the side of her face and her husband began lightly nibbling on her neck.

She smiled and then whispered, "Good morning, Matt."

He sighed, "Yes it most definitely is a good morning." He nibbled on her some more. Then she rolled over to lay on his chest. He positioned himself more directly in front of her, looking her over good. He told her, "You have a little bruise on your shoulder from the fall last night. I didn't notice anything else though."

She smiled and asked him, "So you did a little inspection before I woke up?" He smiled big and nodded. She laughed and told him, "Well, thank you for making sure I didn't have too many more dings and dents after that fall last night."

He got serious as he ran his hand through her hair, "That did scare me though, seeing you at the bottom unconscious."

She nodded, apologized, he of course told her she had nothing to apologize for, and then the two got up. Before going to take a shower C.J. noticed, "Huh..."

Matt looked at her as he prepared the water in the shower for the two of them, "What?"

She was rubbing her hand, "Nothing, its just that the oil that was all slippery in my hand last night seems to be completely gone now."

Matt looked at his own hand and then said, "That's right. The book I read on how to use it said something about it being absorbed into the skin and..." He stopped.

C.J. noticed and asked him, "What, Matt?"

Matt then looked at her and told her, "I think I know exactly what happened to Macy Raven. C.J. she did just fall, just like you did last night. Her hands weren't slippery when Calindis found her because the massage was given about four hours before he found her body. It was an accident."

C.J. then said, "But what about the attack on Joshua Blake? Or why would someone grab me from behind and tell me to get off this case?"

Matt then shook his head, "I don't know, but I just know this was an accident. Maybe Hoyt is right...maybe someone just wants to be famous."

She then asked him, "Who?"

He shook his head and told her, "I don't know, C.J." The phone rang then and he told her to go ahead and get in the shower. He answered and within seconds was joining her. As his hands slipped around her waist from behind he told her, "Looks like we're going to have another busy day, but by the end of it, I'll think we'll have the case solved."

He nursed her neck while she asked him, "We will? How so?"

He told her, "Test results are back and Blake is awake. That was Uncle Roy. His friend is going to get us a conference room at the hospital and we can round everyone up and sort this whole thing out in a couple of hours."

She nodded and told him, "That sounds like a plan." They then spent another hour in the shower, getting dirty one more time before getting clean again.

They met everybody at the hospital, all four men bickering amongst themselves. Matt and C.J. came in, hand in hand and after a couple of minutes trying to get their attention, C.J. whistled loud.

Matt smiled at her and then said, "Ok, gentlemen, Uncle Roy is getting the test results as we speak so we should know who Dove's father is in just a matter of minutes."

Larson then said, "Man I don't know why I got to be here. I've never claimed to be her father, not really. I didn't take this test and I got things to do..."

He started to walk over and was clearly about to say something to C.J. when Matt put his hand on his chest, stopping him, getting in his face and then saying, "You need to sit down like everybody else. This isn't just about who is Dove's father, although if none of these guys are, its a pretty safe bet you are. Its also about what happened to Macy and who is trying to get me and my wife off this case by threatening us and who attacked Blake here."

Blake then sat up a little in his wheelchair and robe, "Man...I'm still really tired and I really just want to get back to that regular room they just put me in, but I want to know. So could we just get on with it?"

Calindis then spoke up, "Yes we really don't have all day. We're announcing it later but many of her friends and fans want a more publicized service so we're having a tribute to Macy tonight, to be televised, pay per view. Sam and I arranged it last night."

Hoyt then walked in, "Yes, I heard all about your little tribute. You do know that whoever killed Macy, if its not one of you that is, may actually just show up to this little shindig. Its inviting trouble..."

Perkins then interrupted, "No, its giving her fans a chance to grieve, to have closure..."

Matt then interrupted him, "And how much is Macy's estate getting for each person that tunes in?" Perkins and Calindis just looked at each other. "That's what I thought. This your one last grab at a little more money?"

The room was about to erupt when Uncle Roy walked in with a lab tech. "We have the results," he said.

The room got silent and Hoyt interjected, "By the way...I'm here on behalf of Judge Edmonton, Family Court, with a court order to make sure custody transfers peacefully to the confirmed biological father."

Perkins then spoke up, "What? Who filed papers?" He was clearly angry.

Blake then spoke up, "Sandy did. I told her a few days ago when all this came up and we did the test to hire a top notch attorney on behalf of Dove. The lawyer represents Dove, the one person who needs it in this whole mess." He then started coughing.

C.J. closed her eyes for a second, silently praying Blake was the father. Dr. Winston then walked in with the lab tech and took the envelope. He read it and nodded to the tech asking, "These the official results?" The tech nodded.

Larson then said, clearly bored, "Come on, just get on with it..."

Dr. Winston then said, "According to these results, the closest genetic markers point to a paternal biological match to Joshua Blake."

Perkins slammed his fist down, "No! Listen, even if she is his kid, I raised her, I deserve the largest chunk of her estate!"

Calindis just looked down and then said, "Come on Sam, you and I both know you didn't really have that much to do with her. You deserve whatever Macy decided to leave you. I'm her husband, it should pass evenly between me and Dove. That's the law..."

C.J. then spoke up, elated Blake had custody for now, "No actually the law says whatever Macy wanted is how this all gets divided. I can tell you as a lawyer, you can file to block the execution of her will, but any lawyer for Dove and Blake here will make sure you pay their court costs along with any fines that come with a frivolous lawsuit."

At that point, Calindis shot her a look, "Really now...why don't you just stay out of this, bitch."

Matt's gut instinct was to walk right over to Calindis, getting right in his face, clenching his fist he told him, "What was that?"

Calindis looked down for a second and then said, "I'm just saying I didn't ask for unwanted legal advice."

Matt took a deep breath, "Well then why didn't you just say that instead." C.J. walked up behind Matt, softly putting her hand on his back so he wouldn't beat Calindis.

Blake then said with a tear in his eye, "She really is mine. I'm a father." He looked up at Roy and said, "Can you get her for me? I really, really want to see her."

Winston then told him, "You are recovering young man...you need your rest."

Uncle Roy then turned to him and said, "Come on Joseph...what's a minute or two gonna hurt, huh?"

Winston rolled his eyes and said, "Fine, fine...just sneak her in and I didn't officially approve anything. Lunch?" he asked Uncle Roy. Roy just smiled and nodded telling him, he'd meet up with him in about an hour.

Perkins just left in a huff followed by Larson who said, "I told you she wasn't mine." He shook Blake's hand as Blake swallowed, still not a fan of Larson. He told him, "Congrats man...if she belongs with anyone, its you. Later."

Calindis then said, "Well, now that the paternity question is answered, you plan to solve the case now?" Then he stormed out, not waiting for an answer.

Matt nodded, knowing how charged the room was he had let the other men leave. It was just too volatile right now and even though they were in a hospital, he didn't want to see any more bloodshed. As a matter of fact, the tribute that night, might just be the best opportunity to get them all together again. So after leaving Joshua Blake with Sandy Kennedy and little Dove in that little conference room as the two had just arrived, Matt, C.J., Uncle Roy and Winston all left. Hoyt stuck around for a minute to fulfill court orders and left himself.


	17. Chapter 17

17

Matt held on to C.J.'s wrists as he wrapped his arms around her in the gym, trying to incapacitate her. "Come on now...what would you do if this wasn't me?"

It had been a little while since she had sparred with Matt like this. He had called in before they even left the house to have a couple of guys clear out a couple of the fitness machines so they would have room. She told him, "I know, I know..." She took a deep breath, they had been at this for about half an hour now, "use my legs to knock you off balance." She took another deep breath and tried to do just that.

Matt smiled and said, "You don't tell your attacker what you plan to do..." He blocked her attempt to break his hold.

She then kicked her foot behind his ankle which sent the two crashing to the floor with her on top of him. C.J. rolled quickly enough to the side to then grab his arm and twist it behind him. She leaned over his face with her hair spilling out of the pony tail, blowing it out of the way she then told him, "Now then...what were you saying?"

He then grabbed her legs, both of them, dropping her to the floor as he rolled over her, "I was saying, never let your guard down." He then licked his lips and said, "Well now, Ms. Parsons-Houston...you look pinned down."

She smiled and told him, "You know if I wanted to, I could get out of this position easily."

Matt smiled and said, "Says you..."

C.J. then told him, "You've left yourself exposed..." He furrowed his brow trying to figure out what she meant by that so she continued, "but I do want kids so I suggest you just get off me before I'm forced to do something we both might regret."

"Ah," he said and sat beside her as she sat up. She leaned over and kissed him for a second and he told her, "Not bad...you haven't forgotten everything."

She laughed, "Of course I haven't Matt, you taught me very well." She kissed him again.

He hated breaking this up because the shower was right there and they did need to get cleaned up. However, they had a case they needed to wrap up. One of those men was responsible for what happened to Blake and C.J. and they needed to be stopped before Matt and Hoyt proved what he suspected. He told Hoyt right before they left the hospital what he suspected had caused Macy's death and he assured Matt, his men would test the theory out later that day, just in time for the tribute.

So he pulled back and told her, brushing the hair out of her face, "We better get cleaned up. Uncle Roy will be meeting up with us later to head over to the tribute. Hoyt and I worked some things out while you were changing down here. You and I will sit in the front where Blake should be, Hoyt and his men will be crawling all over the tribute in plain clothes keeping an eye out and Uncle Roy will be posing as an usher."

C.J. nodded and then said, "I have that little black dress I brought back up here. I can wear that..." Matt smiled then again really big until she said, "it will look great with your tux."

Matt then said, "Yeah, my tux. Thanks for reminding me." She laughed again and kissed him before getting up to shower and change.

She asked him, "You...uh...going to join me?" C.J. began slowly peeling off her clothes as Matt got up and walked slowly over.

He drew her in for a long kiss before she could get her sports bra off and took her hands, "You know I want to, but we don't have as much time as I would require. I'm going to go get us some juice and I'll be back in minute, ok?" She nodded, got one last peck on the cheek, and he left her to shower.

He got upstairs and found his uncle on Baby. Matt furrowed his brow and went to sit beside him, "What are you doing on Baby?"

Roy then told him, "Well, Winston shared a little more with me at lunch. Seems our Mr. Perkins has allergies to just about everything, including lavender."

Matt then took a deep breath, "Then that means, Perkins definitely could not have killed Macy. It would be obvious if he had touched her body at all."

Roy nodded and then said, "This also came in about an hour ago, Larson has two alibis for the time Macy fell down the stairs."

Matt asked, "Two?"

Roy clicked a few buttons, "Yep, meet Lacy and Stacy. They both helped him sleep it off, if you know what I mean."

Matt nodded and then said, "So now he has an alibi or two. They all do which just confirms what I told Hoyt. Its an accident, she fell. I just don't understand why someone is trying to get us off this case?"

Roy then asked, "C.J. has met with all these men...she didn't recognize the voice of her attacker?"

Matt then said, "No, she told Marks it all happened too fast to really get a good sense of what he sounded like."

Roy nodded and then said, "Well, the police are no closer to figuring out who rigged Blake's vent to back up carbon monoxide in his house." Matt still seemed puzzled so he told him, "We may just need to wait for him to slip up."

Matt then said, "Yeah, but I don't like that. What if whoever this is, doesn't slip up but ends up killing someone in the process or Dove gets caught in the crossfire. No, I need to figure this out before she gets hurt."

Roy then took a deep breath as Matt got up to get the juice, "Have you thought any more about C.J. and her...past?"

Matt's drink caught in his throat. He swallowed hard and then said, "I meant what I said Uncle Roy. I want to just drop it. She doesn't need to relive whatever it is that witnessed as a little girl. I don't want her hurt."

Roy then walked over to the bar, "I know you don't, but sometimes Matlock, burying your head in the sand is only going to increase the danger."

Matt said still uncomfortable, "I know that Uncle Roy." He thought for a second and then almost dropped his glass, "What am I supposed to do, huh? When am I supposed to say, 'C.J. honey, I know you don't remember this entirely, but when you were little, you witnessed something so traumatic that it makes you sick just trying to think about, but why don't you give it a try anyway?' How am I supposed to do that?"

Roy then took a deep breath again and told him, "Why don't you start with...'C.J., I love you, but something from your past could be putting you in danger now and I want to help you remember it to keep you safe and then help you move on.' That might be a better way to put it."

Matt closed his eyes and then said, "Like I said, I really don't think whoever torched that old house is coming after her. I think they just wanted a couple of things destroyed that were in that house."

Roy nodded and said, "That sounds like as good a place to start as any. Why don't you do research on those things first, the ones you pulled out. You don't necessarily need to tell her about those things do you?"

Matt then saw what his uncle was doing, offering a compromise. He knew his uncle loved C.J. too and didn't want to see her hurt. He also know his uncle spent a good chunk of his life dealing with spies and saw his fair share of crime and criminal behavior. Perhaps a little research wouldn't hurt and he could do it without her knowing. He nodded and then the two men dropped the subject as she came in, dressed to go out.

After another minute of chitchat mostly of Matt trying to convince C.J. that he had a perfectly good black suit that he could wear instead of the black tux, he finally went downstairs to change himself.

That left C.J. and Roy alone as she went to sit on the couch with some papers. Roy carried over a cup of coffee for her, sat it on the table and then sat down beside her. He knew why his nephew didn't want to look too deeply into C.J.'s past, but there were still a couple of things Roy knew that Matt didn't.

He had learned more from Bloodhound than he had shared with Matt. Apparently the one who had witnessed the murder had not just witnessed one, but two. He also knew that the Marshals didn't typically hire freelance ex green berets unless it was a significant threat to the person needing protecting, such as a witness to a mob hit or something of the like. Unlike Matt, Roy had also looked at this from another angle...why now? Why was someone suddenly interested in that house now?

Roy took a deep breath, watching C.J. for just a minute as she read over legal and business papers, furrowing her brow for a moment before signing off on one and then putting it in the pile with others she had signed. He hated doing this, especially behind Matt's back, but it needed to be done.

He handed her the coffee and said, "Coffee?" She smiled, thanked him and took a sip. Then he said, "C.J., I know we talked the other day about Floyd and Missy..." He noticed her expression change only slightly, as if the topic bothered her, but she didn't want him to see that. He continued, "and I know its not easy to talk about."

C.J. then said, "Uncle Roy, its not that its not easy to talk about...its just that it was a long time ago. I don't remember a whole lot. I was really young then." She looked down then for a second before saying, "I just didn't feel like I belonged there, just felt so alone when I lived there I guess. But then there was Bill and Matt..." She took his hand and said, "and you and Flo and Will. You all made me feel like I was a part of your family and that made me feel less alone. That's what I think about when I think about living in Texas. All of you."

She smiled at him and he smiled back before taking another deep breath to go further. "CJ., you know you really added to our little family there. Bill felt so blessed having both a son and daughter essentially after everything that happened, losing Beth. Taking the two of you in made him feel like everything he worked so hard for was for a purpose, a reason."

C.J. was surprised. She had no idea Roy knew about Matt's adoption. She asked, "Uncle Roy, you know about Matt..." Roy nodded and she looked back for a second before saying, "Does Matt know that you know that..." He nodded again. She swallowed, "In every way that mattered, Bill was Matt's father and you still are our uncle."

Roy smiled and then said after taking her hand again, "That means everything to me. That's why its so hard for me to do this..."

She looked confused, "Do what, Uncle Roy?"

Roy then took deep breath and said, "Ask you something that's going to be hard for you to do."

She asked, "What is it you need to ask me? You know you ask me anything."

Roy then told her, "I need to ask you about your parents."

She blinked and took a deep breath, "Well you can ask, but Uncle Roy, I don't know how much I can tell you about them. They both died when I was so young, I just don't remember much."

Subconsciously maybe she started rubbing her head again. Roy was not only asking questions for the information though, but watching her reactions. He had his own suspicions that her memories caused a physical response as well as an emotional one.

He then said, "Matlock told me once that when you two visited their grave, just after you moved to California to start the agency, that you got very ill." She nodded, rubbing her head again. He continued, "It just seemed the other day, that when we talked about them, you got sick in a similar way."

C.J. nodded and said rather soberly, "I did get a headache, like the ones I used to get, but...I mean I know that I usually get ill when I go, but I've only gone twice Uncle Roy. I mean, how do I know I didn't just catch something both times. It could have all been a coincidence." She tried to smile for him.

Roy then rolled his jaw for a second, "C.J., have you thought of going to the gravesite in the last few months?"

That question surprised her and she answered, "No, not really. I really hadn't thought about them much in a while, well, until a couple of months ago."

This was what Roy was waiting for, what he needed to know. So there was some kind of newfound interest in her parents and her life before Texas, essentially initiated by her. He needed to know the reason though, so he asked, "What made you start thinking about them again?"

She rubbed her head and answered, "Well, I had to fill these forms out for the doctor on my family's medical history. I filled it out as best I could, but like I said, I don't remember much."

Roy then had a thought hit him, "C.J., did your doctor say they were going to try to get medical records for you?"

C.J. thought about it for a second and then said, "Not really, but she did get Matt's biological mother's records so I guess she would probably have been able to get my parent's too." She then started staring out in space and said softly, "You know I could probably get my hands on them myself..." She looked at Baby and said, "I never thought about doing that before."

Roy watched as C.J. put the papers down, rubbed her head, blinked several times and then tried to turn on Baby. Her hand was shaking so hard and she kept blinking so much that Roy leaned over, took her hand and told her, "I don't think right now is the best time. Why don't you think about doing that later. You and Matlock have a tribute to get to."

C.J. hadn't really looked at Roy yet, just kept staring at the buttons on Baby. She finally swallowed and then said very softly, "You're probably right, I..." She closed her eyes and laid back, "Maybe I should just take a minute before we go to just lay down, I'm just tired all of a sudden."

Roy watched her do just that, more concerned than ever.


	18. Chapter 18

18

Matt came back up the stairs fidgeting with his tie with a smile on his face. "C.J..." His uncle walked over to him from the bar.

He smiled for a second and then said, "Here let me."

Roy reached out to fix the tie, but Matt stepped back and said, "No thanks, Uncle Roy. The only bright spot to my having to wear this stupid thing is the fact that my beautiful wife will have to help me fix this." He smiled but then noticed she appeared asleep on the couch. He furrowed his brow, "Is she asleep?"

He hopped down and noticed how sound asleep she was. Matt sat beside her and brushed the hair back from her face. Roy quietly said, "She just wanted to lay down for a second, but yes, she fell asleep right after."

Matt, being an investigator blinked a couple of times, took a deep breath and then asked, "What did you two talk about after I left to get changed?"

He looked at his uncle clearly irritated and Roy expected that. He told him, "Her parents."

Matt looked back at her for a second, clearly concerned and then told his uncle, "I thought I said I wanted to drop it. I agreed to do some research on what I found, without bringing her into it. Why would you go behind my back and interrogate her like that?"

Matt kept brushing his hand against her cheek, looking at her again. Roy told him, "I didn't interrogate her. I merely asked her if she had been thinking about them over the last few months. She told me she had. I think I may have just gotten an answer as to why someone would be interested in the house now."

Matt looked sharply at his uncle and then quietly got up and walked over to him, taking him by the arm into C.J.'s office, "What do you mean?"

Roy told him, "Did she tell you that she had to fill out forms so her doctor could get her parent's medical records?"

Matt thought for a second and then said, "She got my mother's records, but she didn't mention them getting her parents. I guess they would want her side of the family more maybe than my side."

Roy then said, "That means someone has been actively looking into her past. That was probably the trigger and that could mean..."

Matt took a deep breath, "That could mean that if someone didn't know where she was or thought she was looking into her past...they could feel threatened now."

Roy told him, "I told you...this could be more dangerous to ignore." They both looked back at C.J. still sleeping.

Matt walked over slowly to her. He very softly said, "I want to protect her from this, I really do. What is she going to have to face?"

Swallowing hard over and over Matt just looked at her. Roy patted his back, "Whatever it is, she'll have us there to support her. She won't go through any of this alone."

Matt nodded, the thought of her facing something akin to his kidnapping all over again threatening to overwhelm him. It was hard enough for him to face the man who kidnapped him years later, as an adult. C.J. would have to face something that Matt just knew in the pit of his stomach was at least as bad if not worse. It might even mean her remembering her parents dying and having to go to a funeral for both, the government stepping in and taking her as a ward and then all of the uncertainty of moving to a new state and essentially hiding out. What he wouldn't give to keep her from all that.

She began to stir later to find her husband drinking a cup of coffee, sitting on the couch by her, seemingly watching her sleep. Sitting up, she asked, "How long have I been out?"

He brushed the hair from her eyes as he leaned over, "Not that long. We should probably leave in about half an hour. You feeling ok?"

C.J. stretched for a second and then told him smiling a little, "I actually feel very rested right now."

Matt smiled a little and nodded, "Good...here..." He handed her a cup of coffee, "just the way you like it."

She smiled and took it but caught something in his eyes. After taking a sip she said, "Are you ok? You look worried, Matt."

Matt smiled, knowing he was caught and then looked down. After a second he looked back up at her and took her hand saying, "I just have a new case I think. I didn't want to get into it too much before we wrap this one up, that's all."

C.J. put her cup down with a confused look on her face. She asked him, "We have a new case? What's the new case?"

Matt swallowed and tried to smile at the same time, "I'm not entirely sure. Basically I have a friend..." He started to get a little choked up, "a good friend that may have something from their past coming back and threatening them now. I'll know more in a few days and we can talk about it then, ok?"

C.J. caught something in his voice and his eyes that filled her with dread. She told him, "You know you can tell me, Matt. I'll help you no matter who the friend is or what they need."

He pulled her into an embrace and held her tightly. "I know you will. You've always been there for me, C.J." He pulled back and looked into her eyes with his hands on her cheeks, "And I will always be there for you, no matter what." Before she could ask or say anything he took her back in his arms and held her for a couple of more minutes before they got up to head to the tribute.

As Matt drove he thought over and over again at what his uncle had told him. She didn't say much either as they drove, but after fixing his tie properly and him pulling her in for a kiss, she seemed to wake up more. Now she seemed to be staring out into space again.

Matt noticed and asked, "Is anything wrong, C.J.?"

C.J. blinked for a second and then said, taking his hand and squeezing it, "I was just thinking about my life before Texas. Uncle Roy asked me about my parents a little while ago and I told him about Dr. Samaras looking into our family histories. I don't know why, but it really hadn't dawned on me that I could use Baby to remember what they were like." She squinted and rubbed her head again, "I just don't remember them that well and I really want to. I might just need those memories when I'm a parent." She smiled at Matt and then said, "I know that my father loved me very much and my mother, I know that. I just don't remember why exactly I know that..." her voice trailed off and her face looked pensive.

Matt then asked, seeing the opportunity, "Do you remember the house you grew up in? You came to Texas when you were 9, don't you have any memories of living in a house before then?"

She thought for a second and then said, "I remember a brick house, a small brick house." Matt noticed her hand rubbing her head again almost subconsciously. She continued with a smile, "I remember a pink room with bows and..." She started taking deeper breaths, "I...uh...there was a...a...a lamp, a ballerina lamp." Her eyes got heavier as Matt pulled over to watch her more carefully. She didn't notice.

Matt squeezed her hand again, "C.J." he said softly.

She blinked again and then looked at him confused, "I'm sorry, what was I saying?"

Matt looked at her closely and said, "We were talking about your childhood, but I think maybe we should talk about it later. You don't look like you feel that well...as a matter of fact, why don't I just drive you back to the beach house and then go to this tribute, I..."

C.J. then seemed to regain her bearings, "No, Matt...I'm fine, really. We have a job to do here. I want to be there for Dove and its like you've said before, having all your suspects in one place makes things easier." Matt still didn't seem convinced so she told him, "Trust me, I'm fine."

Matt nodded and then got back on the road. Her response to her memories deeply concerned him. It really looked like she was blacking out again. Over and over in his mind he kept asking himself, 'How bad is this? How graphic was what she saw?' A more frightful thought hit him, 'what if whoever the murderer was had held her for a while, hostage?' He looked back at her as she laid back in the car, resting and felt his own anxiety level rise.

They got in to the tribute quickly enough to find Joshua Blake, Dove and Sandy Kennedy, the nanny all sitting together. They reserved two seats for them at a table. Joshua shook Matt's hand and said, "I know I'm not supposed to be out, but Darrin arranged for it. He said it wouldn't be right for me not to be here. I'm not singing with the band though, my lungs are still sore, but other than that, I'm just fine."

Matt said, "Well, if you feel up to it, then I don't see why anyone should keep you from being here."

C.J. then chuckled as she shook Joshua's hand, "Now why doesn't it surprise me that you would support someone getting out of the hospital early."

They both laughed and Dove spoke up, "Hi C.J.! Look what I colored...its a number 3, see I can draw a number 3..." Then she looked back at Sandy, "See, Nana Sandy helps me!" She presented to C.J. a trace the number paper with a 3 traced in green crayon.

Sandy told her, "This could be a long night and she will need something to do. Three year olds have lots of energy."

They all chuckled and it seemed the lights dimmed. Matt pulled out C.J.'s chair for her and put his arm around her shoulder as they sat together. The tribute started out with her band playing two of her hits without a singer. The effect was eerie, but that was the point, to highlight her missing.

Then each member gave their fondest memory of her. Most were humorous, like her sneaking out to get a favorite candy bar in the middle of the night while on tour in disguise or practical jokes she would play on band members. Larson, more tearfully than the others spoke of her commitment to the band and how she would drop everything to support one of them if they needed it.

Then came Sam Perkins who talked very briefly and tearfully of their marriage. Both Matt and C.J. noticed he avoided any reference to Dove. He spoke of their time together, practical jokes she would play on him, buying him things out of the blue and her commitment to her fans. He shared anecdotal stories about specific fans she would do special things for, like visiting sick children in the hospital or going to one girl's high school prom because she told Macy she was an outcast.

Although the majority of what he shared seemed sincere, it all appeared to Matt and C.J. that he was still selling his client.

Matt noticed something as each of the men went on stage. As the cameras would pan on Calindis each time someone spoke, to get the widower's reaction, no doubt, Calindis seemed to be focusing on an area just below the stage and directly in front of Blake. His seat table was next to Blake's and they almost sat side by side. He seemed nervous and would alternate between looking at the stage and Dove.

After The Bay Boys performed without Blake and they finally made it back to their seats, Calindis then got up to make his statement. It started out, "I can't tell you how much this means to me." He wiped a tear and looked as though he was holding back sobs. "Macy and I didn't have much time together, but I will never forget it...I..."

As he was getting choked up it seemed, he bent down and all of a sudden a shots rang out. The lights also went out at the same time as people screamed. Matt, who's arm was still around C.J. essentially moved his body over her taking both to the ground to shield her as the bullet seemed to fire in their direction.

When the lights came back up, just a second later, Matt turned C.J. over to make sure she was alright, but she seemed focused on the other side of their own table. At that point she screamed, "No!"

Little Dove was pinned under her nanny who was bleeding from the back. Dove didn't understand what was going on and was almost whispering, "Nana Sandy, Nana Sandy, get up..."

C.J., Matt and Blake rushed around the table. Blake got Dove up who was crying for Sandy and held her while Matt checked to make sure Sandy had a pulse. He told Hoyt and Roy who ran over, guns drawn, "Its weak but its there. Get an ambulance."

C.J. just knelt down in a trance, muttering, "No...no..." She looked up at Dove, "Not again." At that point she got up and started walking away.

She passed the EMTs as they came rushing in and Matt ran to catch up to her, "Are you ok?" He blocked her path, grabbing her arms, looking right in her eyes very concerned.

This time C.J. didn't respond, but kept staring into space, her eyelids getting heavier and heavier. She whispered, "I can't believe, I just...no...not again." At that point she blacked out herself.

Roy came over as Matt held C.J. unconscious in his arms. He laid her down and him and Matt looked her over to make sure she hadn't been struck by one of the bullets. In that split second he flashed back to her trying to hide her gunshot wound to the shoulder when he was trying to prove his innocence a few years ago.

Sandy had been loaded quickly on a stretcher and was already on her way to the hospital. The remaining EMTs came rushing in and offered to help with C.J. They checked her out but didn't find any wounds.

Matt rubbed his forehead as one of them told him, "She probably just fainted because of what she saw. A lot of people blackout at the sight of that much blood."

Matt knew that wasn't the case but watched them, holding her hand tightly as they put smelling salts up to her to bring her to. He kept looking back at Roy who was thinking the same things he was about all this.

She started to stir and Matt told her before anyone else could say anything, "I'm right here, honey. Just take it easy."

She looked around and then said, "Matt, I...wait a minute..." It seemed as though she just caught on to what happened, "what's going on? Wait...is Sandy ok? Is Dove..."

Matt told her, "Sandy is on her way to the hospital now. Dove is fine, she wasn't hurt at all. You just blacked out, so just take it easy for a minute, ok?"

C.J. looked at everyone focused on her. She cleared her throat and said, "No, listen really I'm fine. I don't know what came over me, but whatever it is, its gone now."

The EMTs left and Roy went to check on Hoyt. Matt told her, "Listen, I think I should get you home..."

C.J. stopped him and said, "No, Matt, like I said, I'm fine. Where did those shots come from and what happened to the lights?"

Matt told her, "I don't know. It all happened so fast." Then it hit him that Calindis had been looking in that general direction all night. He called his uncle back over who came with Hoyt. "Uncle Roy, can you get C.J. home? Hoyt, we need to talk." He pulled Roy to the side out of C.J.'s earshot and said, "And don't leave her. I'll be there as soon as I can."

C.J. was about to protest but Roy took her hands and told her calmly, "Come on, please, let me take you back to the beach house. You haven't been feeling well for a few days now." She relented and they left.

Matt and Hoyt got over to a corner and watched Calindis walking around on stage. The police had evacuated almost everyone else at that point. Matt told him, "Watch him. Now I noticed during the tribute that he kept looking over directly in front of Blake, looking very nervous."

Hoyt then speculated, "That's the general direction the shots came from. Our lab boys are collecting evidence now. There was a set up under the stage to fire a pistol in the direction of Blake's table. We are treating this as a second attempt on Blake's life. You think Calindis set this all up?"

Matt told him, "I do...Blake told me Calindis got him out of the hospital and made sure he was here tonight. When we revealed the paternity test results he got real upset when he learned Blake was the father, meaning..."

The lightbulb went on over Hoyt's head, "Meaning he would have to split the inheritance with Blake as the legal guardian of Dove, with her actually getting the bulk of it. So if I understand this right, Macy died as the result of an accident, but Calindis didn't want to share the inheritance with anyone."

Matt then said, "I think I have an idea Hoyt. I think I know just how to catch this would be killer." They talked for another half an hour, watching Calindis the whole time, noting that he seemed to have found a new friend.


	19. Chapter 19

19

C.J. fell asleep right after Roy got her home. For whatever reason, she thought, she was exhausted. None of this made any sense to her. She had seen her fair share of bullet wounds, in fact she had a couple of scars herself. So why did she react the way she did?

Matt also seemed beyond concerned. He wanted her to stay put in the beach house until he, Roy and Hoyt cleared this whole case up. Despite the fact that she never really liked being told to stay put, she had other things she needed to do.

First on the list for the day was getting a hold of Bo and Lamar and expressing her displeasure that they had gotten into a bar fight with Matt. She also wanted to know what was going on with the house she lived in there in Texas.

She had slept in. Unknown to her, Matt had come home that night, slipped in to bed holding her tightly. When he woke up, she was still in the same position in his arms, never even moving a muscle. He had kissed her on the forehead before getting up and had Roy come over to keep an eye on things before heading out.

Matt told him, "She's been out all night. Just don't let her go too far." He put his suit jacket on and grabbed his keys, "I'll be with Hoyt so if you need me call the car or his office to get me a message." Roy nodded and he left.

C.J. got dressed and then sat down to make her phone call. She knew Bo and Lamar should be heading in soon to get their gear before heading out again. They usually ended up back at the house at about this time. She got Bo, "Well, hello there Bo."

She could almost hear him gulp on the other end, "Oh, uh C.J., well, how's things out there in California?"

C.J. told him, "Not bad Bo. In fact I met a really nice lawyer..." she was dragging this out for effect, "his name is David Matheson. I hear you know him?"

Lamar then took the phone from Bo. Before speaking into it he held on to the receiver and whispered to Bo, "Let me handle this. She always did like me better and I know how to handle women." As Bo was about to object he spoke to C.J., "Well now, C.J. how are you doing this morning. I bet everything is going just fine, you've probably lost weight and...I mean not that you needed to...I mean... uh..."

Bo pulled on the phone and asked Lamar irritated, "What did you say that for? She didn't ever need to lose no weight!"

Lamar then told him, "Women like to hear that, Bo! Now just trust me!" He got back on the phone, "Well, now C.J., as I way saying, uh...what can I do for you?"

C.J. then told him, "Well I was wondering if you could tell me exactly what it was you, Bo and Matt were doing in Lucky's? Why you three decided to get arrested...why you didn't call me? I am the one with the law degree...remember? I would think that before pleading to something you three would want my advice and I would think you three are old enough to stay out of bar fights."

Lamar then looked down and handed the phone to Bo, "She wants to talk to you."

Bo looked confused but then heard C.J.'s voice, "I mean really fellas. Why can't you three just go out, have a nice beer and then call it a day? Do you really need to add more to your rap sheet?"

Bo then asked, "Rap sheet? What's a rap sheet?"

C.J. rolled her eyes and then said, "Listen, if you three ever pull a stunt like that again, you will regret it. You are already going to regret this one. You won't even see it coming, but I will definitely make you three pay for it." Her tone really wasn't menacing and she didn't plan anything violent, just a real zinger of a practical joke for later. Planning all that would take some time, so why not make them sweat in the meantime. They had done it to her and Matt plenty of times growing up and just made their relationships with each other stronger.

Bo gulped as she hung up and told Lamar, "She's really gonna get us back for that."

Lamar nodded and said, "I was afraid of that."

After successfully scaring the pants off Bo and Lamar C.J. headed downstairs to get her coffee. She had woken up so refreshed and rested, it seemed amazing. Roy sat on their couch drinking coffee and reading the newspaper.

She asked him, "Uncle Roy, what are you doing here?"

He put his paper down and smiled at her, "Just thought I'd drop by. Matlock is working with Hoyt to wrap up this case. I just thought I'd see how you were doing."

C.J. shot him that 'I'm not stupid' look and said, "Why is it I have this feeling that you are over here because my overprotective husband didn't want me left alone this morning?"

Roy shrugged and then said in a much more serious tone, after taking a deep breath, "C.J., Matlock is worried about you."

C.J. took a deep breath, about to reassure Roy but not knowing really how to do that. She, herself was rattled by how she had reacted to different things on this case. If she couldn't explain it to herself, how would she ever explain it to anyone else?

She told him after taking his hand and patting it, "Uncle Roy there is nothing to worry about. I probably didn't eat enough yesterday during the day or something and that's why I blacked out. I'm sure I'm fine." He nodded and then she told him, "I really need to head into the office. I have some research I need to do on Baby."

As soon as she said that, she stood up, avoiding eye contact with Roy. He asked, "C.J. the case is almost wrapped up...what research is it you need to do?"

She turned back to face him with a plastered smile on her face and said, "I want to research more into my parents. I haven't really thought about them much the last few years and I think, since Matt and I are trying to be parents ourselves, that I should make an effort to remember them."

Roy got up and walked over to her, taking her hands, "You know it won't be easy."

C.J. smiled a little and told him, "I know, but I can't go through life without remembering them. I lived with them for 9 years and I don't remember much of that at all. Why?"

As she was shaking her head he told her, "I think you're making the right decision, but C.J...its going to be hard, I know it will." She nodded looking down. He continued, "But you won't be alone through this."

C.J. smiled and then said, "Why would it be hard? What about it would be so hard? I don't remember much of the funerals, but I was thinking I could have Baby find something on them and then maybe look at cases my father worked. You know he was a lawyer." She smiled again, "I was thinking I might be able to find his opening arguments or closing statements and compare them with mine." She started tearing up, not understanding herself why, "I just thought I could see how alike we are, since I don't really know."

Roy gently put his arms around her and told her, "This is what I mean. It won't be easy, but you aren't alone. Trust me, Matlock isn't going to be leaving you alone while you do this."

She nodded and he went with her to the car to head into the office. Roy remembered what Matlock had told him, but C.J. was ready to start now. Letting her guide things was the best option.

Matt met up with Hoyt and Warren at headquarters. Outside of Hoyt's office sat Perkins and Calindis. Hoyt was raising his voice, "Warren I told you! No! You aren't leaving on vacation, not until this case is solved!"

Warren yelled back, "Lt. Hoyt I told you! Listen, the lab boys just called to tell me they found something by the pistol set up under the stage and they have a witness, a janitor that can identify the man he saw putting the gun under the stage and setting it up. He also swears he heard a conversation between that man and another one. Trust me by the end of the day, I'll have your attempted murderer!" He opened and slammed the door as he left.

Hoyt then rubbed his face as he stuck his head out the door, "What do you two want?" He asked gruffly to the two men.

Calindis then spoke up, "I was told by an officer to come in to pick up the death certificate."

Perkins then said, "I was told by an officer that I had to come in to pick up the wedding ring I gave her that she was wearing on her right hand when she died."

Hoyt nodded and said, "Both of those can be found down the hall." He pointed down to the office that handled the personal effects of the deceased and the vital statistics records. He then tersely turned around and shut the door.

Calindis drove slowly in to the parking lot of the auditorium, waiting for Warren to leave, who came out almost skipping. Irritated, Calindis took out a gun from the glovebox of his new car and walked slowly in.

He found a man with his back to him mopping up the concrete hallway. Approaching as quietly as possible he got right up behind him with his gun drawn, "Now you just need to do what I tell you and everything will be ok. No sudden moves, just start walking out to my car. We're going for a little ride."

Calindis looked around for a second before the janitor said, "So, that was you."

Calindis then said rather angrily, "Yeah, it was me. You saw me I know. I assume you told the police?" The janitor nodded and then Calindis said, "That's just great. Look we can either work something out that involves you taking a trip for the next few years or you just disappear permanently."

Matt then turned around and said, "Oh really now." At that point police officers came out of nowhere. "Well, let me see if I have this right, you were worried that since Blake turned out to be the father of Dove that he was going to take away your meal ticket, right?"

The officers took Calindis' weapon away and were handcuffing him as he said, "You have no proof."

Matt then got in his face, "How could you do that? Dove was right there! She could have easily been hit by that bullet!" His voice was rising, "In fact, if Sandy hadn't been there she would have been!" He then grabbed Calindis by the collar and said, "Was it worth it? Huh! Was it worth it to almost kill the only other person in that little girl's life right in front of her!"

At that point Hoyt and Warren were pulling Matt off of him as he tried to defend himself, "I didn't know she was coming. Sam assured me Dove was going to sit with him on the other side of the room, we..."

At that point Calindis caught himself, but not before Matt, Warren and Hoyt did. Warren then speculated, "You and he set this whole thing up didn't you?"

Calindis looked down and said, "I think I need a lawyer."

Warren then told him, "I think you do too. In fact I'm betting that little weasel talks to us before you do. He'll be the one we cut a deal with I'm sure. You, on the other hand, can kiss that inheritance goodbye because by the time you get out to spend it, you'll be 80."

Calindis looked up and said, "No, listen, I...I want a deal. I'll give you Perkins. We went in on this together."

Calindis told them he and Perkins met after the paternity tests came back. After Macy had died, and again he swore it had to have been an accident, he and Sam had come to an agreement. Perkins suspected that Blake was the father not him. Apparently Dove's blood type didn't match his or Macy's, but Macy never questioned his assertion that he was the father. He told Calindis that if he supported him and his claim of fatherhood, he would cut the inheritance in half, 50/50 with Calindis. That would be better than getting the percentage Macy had lined out in her will. Perkins had rigged the vent at Blake's house and sent the note to distract everyone and have them focus on the threats not the paternity issue. Then when clearly that didn't work, they decided to just go ahead and really eliminate Blake. Perkins arranged for Calindis to meet with a prop man who would rig lots of Macy's on stage special effects. He showed him how to set it up and trigger it from on stage.

Hoyt issued an APB on Perkins and police apprehended him at the airport, trying to flee. The two men yelled at each other in the hallway as the media looked on. Hoyt was able to issue a statement as Matt headed over to the hospital to tell Blake.

He found Blake tearfully holding little Dove as she cried in the waiting room. Matt took a deep breath and walked over, "Joshua, Dove...I just came by to update you on the case."

Joshua wiped a tear away and asked, "Did you find out who shot Sandy?" His eyes were red from crying for hours it seemed. He held Dove crying more softly on his shoulder slowly going to sleep.

Matt nodded and told him softly, "Yes we did. Darrin Calindis and Sam Perkins were working together..." Joshua looked confused as he rocked her holding her, "They had decided to split the inheritance...with you out of the way, Perkins would try to legally get guardianship of Dove. He would have Darrin's support and they would just split it all."

Blake shook his head and then said softly but angrily, "And where did they plan to fit Dove into everything?" Matt didn't have an answer. "I can't believe they would just disregard her like that." He squeezed her closer to him with more tears, "They never cared about her. How could they do that to her? She could have been shot. Do you know the police told me that if Sandy hadn't shielded Dove, she would have been killed?"

He started crying and Matt grabbed his shoulder telling him, "She wasn't and now she's going to grow up loved in a household that treasures her. I know someone who had something similar happen to her and trust me..." He had to swallow hard before finishing, "she turned out just fine."

Blake nodded and then looked past Matt as another doctor came in to tell them that Sandy was starting to regain consciousness. Her injury was serious, but the bullet had luckily missed her spine and kidneys. Blake thanked him squeezed Dove one more time as the doctor left. He could go in after she was evaluated one more time.

Blake sat down with Dove almost slouched over. Matt told him, "You care about her don't you?"

Blake looked up surprised and then nodded, "Yeah. I interviewed her and made sure Dove had someone with a good soul to watch over her, but seeing her with Dove...I don't know how to explain it."

Matt sat down beside him and said, "You fell in love with her."

Blake nodded, "Yeah, I guess I did. After Macy and I split up, I came by to check on Dove and to see her. It tore me up knowing she was so close yet so far away. I couldn't stay in Dove's life if I wasn't her father. I didn't want to add any more confusion to her life." He kissed her little asleep head and then said, "Now I have the potential to have it all. Court Sandy for real, as long as she comes out of this..." He got choked up so he swallowed, "have my little girl grow up with her. I'll never let Dove forget Macy, but she's gone. Sandy can be that mother she needs now. We can be a family. I just can't believe that almost as soon as I found out she was my daughter, that I could have it all...I almost lost it all."

Matt nodded knowing exactly how he felt. His life with C.J. had surpassed even his wildest imagination. Never had he experienced that much happiness with another woman. Now they were trying to have it all and it looked like there was going to be one major hurdle standing in their way. He swallowed hard and then left after Blake and Dove went to see Sandy.

Roy called almost as soon as he got in the car. "Matlock you better get back to the office. C.J. needs you."

A cold fear swept through Matt's body at his uncle's voice, "What's going on Uncle Roy? Is she alright?"

His uncle did help matters. All he replied with was, "No, get over here now. But be careful." Then he hung up.

Matt's chest tightened and he raced off. Why were they at the penthouse? He thought they were staying at home today. In record time he got in and ran up to the elevator which was going much slower than usual it seemed.

When the doors opened he didn't see anyone. Of course Chris was still out on sick leave but where were Roy and C.J. He called out, "C.J.! Uncle Roy!" He was rushing in, not knowing where to start first until he caught a glimpse of his uncle out on the patio.

He got out there about to ask where C.J. was when he saw her standing on the ledge. He froze seeing his whole life flashing before his eyes, along with his future. He carefully inched along the edge, past his uncle. He studied her first, seeing her appear almost in a trance. Swallowing hard he whispered, almost afraid to say anything for fear it would startle her and cause her to lose her balance, "C.J..." She didn't move. "C.J., honey what are you doing up there?"

Roy whispered over to him, "She just got up and walked out here. I tried to get her attention but it was like she couldn't hear me."

Matt's eyes couldn't leave her so he nodded. "C.J. honey can you hear me? It's me, Matt. I need you to hear me. I love you so much. Whatever is wrong, let me help you. Please, baby, please...Hear my voice..."

C.J. started to blink and then began falling backward. Matt was close enough to her to take just a couple of quick steps to catch her. As he did they fell back together. He couldn't move. It was taking his mind much more time to process the enormity of what had almost just happened. He grabbed on to her as she laid there unconscious and tears began forming. Even though he knew she couldn't hear him he told her, "I love you, I love you so much."

Roy knelt down, "She was going to do some research on her parents on Baby. A man showed up, claiming he needed her to represent him on a case and handed her some legal documents. I went outside here and the next thing I know, she is walking right past me, as if in a trance, and then got on the ledge. I kept telling her over and over that you were on your way. As soon as I said your name she stopped. I heard the elevator ding and the man had left. Matlock, it looks like something similar to what you went through when you went missing that 30 days. I'm afraid you two have more in common than we ever thought."

Matt laid there wanting so bad to just push everything back into the past as if it could just be pushed into some kind of box. That wasn't possible though. He ran his hands over her and cradled her. He didn't know what his uncle meant by that exactly, but he was getting her away from this for a little while. She needed a couple of weeks away from all this. Murray had left a message last night that he was back so they were leaving. He didn't know where, but they were getting away. When they returned they'd deal with this. Until then, she needed a good week or two with him to strengthen herself, but for what, he didn't know.


End file.
